Valencia breaks container movement record with MSC mega-ship call

The Port of Valencia has announced it broke its record for containers moved in a single visit during the call of the MSC Sixin between the 27 and 30 August 2020.

According to a statement from Valenciaport, the Port moved a total of 8,701 TEU during the visit, with 3,304 unloaded and 5,397 loaded at the MSC Terminal Valencia. It marked the first time that it had handled a visit in excess of 8,000 TEU, far surpassing the other previous records, all of which were just above 7,000 TEU.

Furthermore, it is the sixth time an MSC vessel has broken the record, with the MSC London, MSC Venice, MSC Istanbul, MSC Hamburg and MSC New York all doing so in the recent past.

Additionally, the MSC Sixin also retained its place as the largest ship to ever call at the Port, this being its second visit to Valencia. With an approximate capacity of 23,5000, it is part of the ‘Gulsun’ class of containership, a class of vessel that, according to Valenciaport, is visiting the Port more often than previous years.

The 8,701 containers managed by MSC Sixin represent a commitment by the company to the Valenciaport facilities and is a symptom of economic recovery, as already reflected in the Valencia Containerised Freight Index (VCFI) for August, which recorded an increase of 1.33% over the previous month, according to Valenciaport.

The MSC Sixin has the telematic connection of ‘digital containers’, has more than 2,000 connections for refrigerated containers and a design that allows a significant reduction in CO2 for each container transported compared to the average of container ships operating today, which helps companies moving goods on MSC services between Asia and Europe to reduce the carbon footprint of their supply chains.

Valenciaport said this type of ship reinforces its commitment to sustainability and is in line with the aims of the Valencia Port Authority to reduce carbon emissions and reach 2030 with a balance between production and consumption of renewable energy.

https://www.porttechnology.org/news/valencia-breaks-container-movement-record-with-msc-mega-ship-call/