In June Klaipeda Seaport reported about the largest vessel ever entering the Seaport within the entire period of its history – it was the 324,8 meter-long container ship „MSC Charleston“. However, after a couple of months this record has been improved – today Klaipeda Seaport received the 336,68 metres in length and 45,60 metres in breadth containership „MSC ASYA “. The vessel is able to accommodate 9178 TEU and her maximum draught is 15,3 metres.
Klaipeda Seaport is planning in the nearest future to start distributing containers to smaller, feeder, ships transporting the cargo to other Baltic Sea region seaports; in this case larger vessels transporting containers from other continents to our region will have the opportunity to avoid the cargo handling operations in traditional seaports of the Western Europe.
The vessel is berthed at the quays of the a-new constructed and officially launched JSSC „Klaipedos Smelte“ container distribution centre (HUB).
Klaipeda Seaport is receiving the constantly increasing number of large vessels. According to the report of Internal Audit Department of Klaipeda State Seaport Authority the gross tonnage (GT) of vessels within the Ist half of 2015 has increased by 5 percent comparing with the corresponding period of the previous year. The review of the tendencies of recent years revealed that the number of vessels exceeding 200 metres in length has increased twice comparing with period 5 years ago (2009).