Port of Antwerp has announced the first successful trial of the extension to the maximum draught of the Western Scheldt river with the 13,100TEU MSC Regulus entering the Belgian port with a new record-draught of 15.7m on 28 February.
[s2If is_user_logged_in()]The major European port plans to increase the maximum draught from the current 15.5m to 16m, which is required in order to be able to receive the largest seagoing vessels.
Annick De Ridder, Port Alderman believes that it is essential for the port to be able to receive the very largest seagoing vessels and that they can choose Antwerp as their first port of call.
“If ships with a bigger draught can call at the port of Antwerp, the port can raise its profile even more in the Far East, where the biggest ships sail, and strengthen its position as a first port of call here too. This will help to strengthen our competitive advantage over other ports and perpetuate our position as a world port,” commented Annick De Ridder.
It was therefore decided to carry out a series of trial runs during which the maximum draught was systematically increased to 16m. This increase in the permitted draught considerably increases the loading capacity of the ships, as the extra 0.5m can yield 1,000 additional TEU. During the pilot project, the maximum permissible draught at inlet will gradually be increased from the current 15.5m to 15.7m, 15.9m and finally 16m.
“The gradual increase of shipping to the maximum draught of 16m means a significant optimisation of cargo capacity,” said Nathalie Balcaen, administrator-general of the Flemish Agency for Maritime Services and Coast (MDK) who went on to add, “the nautical chain is becoming more and more robust and is successfully pushing the boundaries of what is safely achievable.”
The project is a collaboration by the Port of Antwerp, the Flemish pilots from MDK, the Dutch pilots, the Common Nautical Management (GNA), traffic controllers and the container line MSC.
According to the Port of Antwerp’s announcement, the deepening applies only to container ships sailing to the Deurganckdock.
The inlet for deep-sea vessels is determined by the tide. “During the higher water level, there is a ‘time window’ during which deeper vessels can embark or disembark. Calculation of the time windows and simulations have shown that shipping with a draught of 16m is effectively possible on the Western Scheldt river,” explains Antwerp port in its statement.
The decision for the pilot project was made in close consultation with the GNA and the three progressively deeper draughts will therefore be tested by both Flemish and Dutch pilots. After each draught test, there will be a detailed assessment and a discussion of the findings. A final evaluation will then follow after the six trial runs and a final decision will be taken for the passage of ships with a draught of 16m.
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