17.08.2010 - Bremen. MSC Irene at EUROGATE in Hamburg and Bremerhaven.

Having a loading capacity of 14,000 TEUs, one of the biggest container vessels in the world, the MSC Irene, will dock for the first time at the EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg and at MSC Gate Bremerhaven, a joint venture between EUROGATE and TIL, on 18.08.2010 and 19.08.2010 respectively. EUROGATE has in the past handled several of the MSC Irene’s sister ships and welcomes the fact that these ships will in future call at its terminals more frequently. EUROGATE has already cleared more than 150 container ships in the over 12,000 TEU size range in Hamburg and Bremerhaven, proving the high handling capacity of its terminal facilities.

The docking of the MSC Irene in Hamburg and Bremerhaven once again demonstrates that the lack of depth in the rivers Elbe and Weser and restrictions in so-called rendez-vous traffic make it difficult for container ships of this magnitude to call unhindered at Germany’s two major international ports.

EUROGATE is therefore taking advantage of the docking of the MSC Irene to once again urge the city states of Hamburg and Bremen as well as the federal government to commit over the long term to a prompt realisation of the deepening projects for the Lower and Outer Weser and Lower and Outer Elbe rivers. The timely realisation of these expansion projects is becoming ever more urgent as container ships of the new generations increasingly operate the routes in particular between Asia and Europe. EUROGATE is anticipating that in the coming years, these ships will be the new standard in Europe–Asia container services.