[ Navigation Channel is Going to be Dredged ]

The navigation channel at the Bremerhaven Container Terminal will soon
have a water depth of 14 meters below chart datum. This has now been
decided by the highest federal authority responsible for shipping and
waterways in Germany. Dredging work will commence in spring so that mo
dification of the navigation channel can be completed within this year
. For Bremerhaven the construction project means that all container sh
ips currently in operation in practise will be able to call at the ter
minal regardless of the tide.
Terminal operator BLG expects this to enhance Bremerhaven’s attractiv
eness in international competition significantly. The port facilities
are located directly on the open North Sea so that no voyages on the r
iver are necessary. Bremerhaven’s quick accessibility will be further
improved by the deepening of the navigation channel.
Even today the largest container carriers in the world are to be seen
at the BLG Container Terminal, such as the two 346-meter-long and 42.8
-meter-wide MAERSKS-Class vessels. the megacarriers with 104,696 dwt c
all together with eight other ships of nearly the same size regularly
at Bremerhaven.
With Container Terminal Ⅲ Bremerhaven is prepared for the traffic gro
wth of the coming years. This project stage, which includes two new be
rths measuring 350 meters in length each, was completed in December la
st year. In 1997 1.7 million TEUs were handled in Bremerhaven. This co
rresponded to a rise of 10.5 percent over the previous year. Since tra
ffic forecasts in Bremerhaven expect an increase in container traffic
to around three million TEU by the year 2010, further expansion of the
terminal designated as CT Ⅲa, is already in the planning phase.