In next three years, more than 100 mega box ships, each of the capacity of more than 10,000 TEUs, will join the world container fleet...
In next three years, more than 100 mega box ships, each of the capacity of more than 10,000 TEUs, will join the world container fleet and the port and terminal operators all over the world are worried that such an influx might pose a huge challenge to them. The question which haunts most of them is — how are these mega ships going to benefit them? “We’re not sure about the benefits,” some terminal operators have been quoted as saying. The reason for their worry is not difficult to find. They all will be required to invest heavily in creating additional facilities without being sure of the cargo inducement. A berth of 300 metre in length and 40 metre in width is enough to handle a 5000-TEU vessel. But a 10,000-TEU vessel will require a much bigger berth, both in length and breadth. Also, the channel has to be dredged to increase the draft to be needed for bigger ships and high capacity quay cranes and other handling equipment have to be installed to ensure faster turnaround of the vessels. All this will cost money. Yet, after making all the investments, the terminal operator would not be sure if the mega ships will really carry much larger volumes, at least the kind of volumes to be needed to guarantee a fair return on investment. Source: The Hindu Business Line
