The Suez Canal achieved Monday a record number of 70 ships passing in both directions, with a total tonnage of 4m tons. A total of 34 ships passed from north without waiting, with a total tonnage of 2m tons, and 36 from the south through the canal’s new stream with a total tonnage of 4m tons.
The record tonnages come in light of an average daily tonnage of 2.8m-3m tons that pass through the Suez Canal.
“This noticeable increase in the numbers and tonnage of ships reflects the importance of establishing the new Suez Canal to increase the Canal’s capability of receiving the expected increase in world trade passing through the Suez Canal,” said Mohab Mamish, Suez Canal Authority Chairman.
The giant Danish container ship ‘Mathilde Maersk’, which is heading to Saudi Arabia from Belgium, was the largest vessel to pass through the Suez Canal from the North, with a tonnage of 200,000 tons. ‘Mathilde Maersk’ is one of the largest containerships in the world, and can carry up to 18,270 containers.
The largest vessel to pass through the Canal from the south was the container ship ‘Barzan’, sailing under the Maltese flag and carrying 200,000 tons. It is heading towards Spain from Malaysia.
