Giant container quay introduced in Kwangyang

Container dedicated terminal only for 12,000 TEU vessel is expected to show up in the Port of Kwangyang.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries unveiled July 2 that it will construct three container berths for 12,000 TEU vessels and one for 8,000 TEU vessels as the first phase of a three step development project for the Port of Kwangyang, scheduled to open in 2007.

"As container vessels are getting larger and larger recently, we expect that 12,000-15,000 TEU vessels will be introduced by around 2010. We decided to build container dedicated terminals for ULCSs (Ultra Large Container Ships) to secure a better position in hub port competition.

Some shipbuilders including Samsung Heavy Industries are currently building 7,400 TEU vessels. The largest container vessel in operation was given to P&O Nedlloyd's, a 6,690 TEU vessel built in 1998.

Most people in the industry have been skeptical regarding the use of vessels over 10,000 TEU due to worries that they may consume too much fuel compared to their actual capacity.

"The high oil consumption worries will be solved thanks to technical developments. Some have predicted that 12,000 TEU vessels would show up within 2-3 years," said an official at MOMAF.