Paris: Containerships of up to 35,000 teu could call at Singapore, the world's largest transshipment hub, in the future. French box analysts Alphaliner note that the 18,000 teu ships that Maersk Line is close to ordering will easily transit the Malacca Straits.
The Singapore Straits have a maximum draught of 21 m, which has effectively limited bulk carriers and tankers to around the 240,000 dwt size. ?But Alphaliner claimed that due to the much lower cargo density of box carriers, a containership with a 21 m draught could have a carrying capacity of 35,000 teu. ?However, the analyst said that other factors would make a vessel this size far too big to operate. ?"It would need to have a prohibitive length and breadth, requiring vast turning basins and supersized gantry cranes that are even not under development, not to mention the associated berth infrastructure and dredging issues in most ports." [31/01/11]
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