This morning – 4 June – the container ship Marseille Maersk left the APMT 2 terminal in Prinses Amaliahaven en route to Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia. With a draught of 17.30 metres, the vessel represents a new record for container ships calling on Rotterdam.
The previous record stood at 17.10 metres. This past Wednesday had also seen a new milestone for Rotterdam, when the latest vessel to top the ranking of world’s largest container ships, the 24,000-TEU HMM Algeciras, made its first call on the port.
Rotterdam’s waterways can accommodate even greater draughts: up to 22.50 metres for incoming vessels and 21.50 metres for ships leaving the port. This maximum draught is particularly relevant to oil tankers and iron ore carriers.