Container giant MSC Daniela sets new record
for draught at 15.25 metres

Less than a month after the MSC Emanuela entered the history books as the container ship with the greatest draught ever on the Scheldt, the MSC Daniela has beaten its sister ship’s record. On Friday afternoon the ULCS (ultra-large container ship) entered the port of Antwerp without problem, with a record draught of no less than 15.25 metres. After passing through the Berendrecht lock the Daniela headed for the MSC Home Terminal in the Delwaide dock, where she remained until 2200 hours on Saturday.

The arrival of the Daniela is part of a series of test trips for which permission has been granted by the Permanent Commission for Supervision of Scheldt Navigation. If the trials are considered to have been successful then the navigation regulations will be amended accordingly.

The MSC Daniela has not only set a record for draught, it is also the first vessel to follow the new rotation in the MSC Silk loop, with Antwerp now being the first European port of call for cargo arriving from the Far East. The fact that MSC has chosen Antwerp as the first port of call demonstrates that the port is gaining in importance as the gateway to Europe from the Far East, not least because of the recent deepening of the river Scheldt.

Antwerp Port Authority, press release