Container giant arrives in Durban
2012-07-04 22:02
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Durban - The largest container ship ever to visit a South African port arrived off Durban late on Wednesday afternoon, Transnet said.
The vessel would dock on Thursday morning,
The Mediterranean Shipping Company's MSC Sola weighs in at 131 771 tons and is three-and-a-half rugby fields long. It is capable of carrying 11 660 standard containers when fully laden.
The ship was expected to call at the Ngqura Container Terminal in the Eastern Cape next Tuesday.
Transnet spokeswoman Lunga Ngcobo said the vessel would be guided into port on Thursday by four tugs.
Prior to the completion of Transnet's R300m project in 2010 to widen and deepen the entrance to Durban's harbour, MSC Sola would have been unable to enter the port, as the harbour entrance was dredged only to a depth of 12.8m.
- SAPA
