Southampton to inaugurate new berth for giant containerships

The port of Southampton is to inaugurate next Monday a new 500m long quay designed to accommodate the largest containerships currently in operation.

The £100 million facility, funded by Associated British Ports (ABP), will be officially opened by Sir Ben Ainslie, the Olympic sailor who won four Olympic gold medals for Britain. The America’s Cup winner will signal the start of operations with the loading of a gold-painted container onto the Marco Polo, a 16,000 TEU vessel owned by CMA CGM.

The new berth, called SCT5, is designed to handle the largest vessels in the world, including Maersk’s Triple-E ships, which can carry up to 18,000 TEUs.

The quay is equipped with four new Liebherr Super Post-Panamax cranes which have an outreach of 24 containers wide. A fifth Liebherr crane has also been relocated from elsewhere in the terminal. The SCT5 berth has a depth alongside of 16 metres, and can be deepened to 17 metres to cater for any future growth in vessel size.

For comparison, Maersk’s Triple-E vessels stack containers 23 rows wide and have a draught of 14.5 metres. But larger vessels have already been ordered. In January, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) began building 19,000 TEU ships for China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL).

"This new quay is a major investment in the future of Southampton’s container operations,” said Chris Lewis, managing director of DP World Southampton, which is owned 51% by DP World and 49% by ABP.

“This new quay is vital to safeguard and allow us to grow the business,” said James Cooper, ABP chief executive. "It is fitting that a Hampshire hero, a local boy who has made the entire world sit up and take notice with his performances on the water, should be the one to open our facility. He has truly defined what the gold standard means.”

Sir Ben said: "As a local sailor who has spent many happy hours on Southampton Water, I know what a major contribution the port and the marine industry it supports makes to life in Hampshire. That's why I'm proud to take part in such a momentous event as the opening of SCT5, something that promises to develop the regional economy and build on the port's global reputation."

Southampton is also dredging its main approach channel, deepening it but also widening it so containerships can pass one another.

The SCT5 berth handled its debut call earlier this month, when the 13,000 TEU Hyundai Tenacity – part of the G6 Alliance – stopped at Southampton en route from Le Havre to Hamburg.