A milestone event is set to take place at the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, more specifically at the Tenerife Container Terminal (TCTenerife) in the Eastern Dock, where the largest international transshipment operation will occur between Saturday the 18th and Wednesday the 22nd. This operation will feature the largest container ships, both in terms of volume and capacity, arriving at the port.
A total of three thousand containers, equivalent to 5,102 TEUs, will be handled during the unloading and loading processes, with the spotlight on the twin ships CAP San Sounio and CAP San Artemissio. These colossal vessels, arriving at our port, boast an impressive gross tonnage of 119,441 tons and a capacity of 10,589 TEUs. Additionally, their dimensions are remarkable at 333 meters in length and 48 meters in width.
The only vessels that exceed the length of the CAP twins by four meters are the Maersk Genoa and Maersk Guayaquil, which also conducted transshipment operations in our port back in September 2017, reaching a length of 337 meters. However, they have lower figures in terms of container capacity and volume.
Pedro Suárez, the president of Puertos de Tenerife, stated, “These operations are vital in maintaining Tenerife’s international connectivity and further demonstrate the confidence that major maritime groups have in the benefits, services, and security of our ports and terminals. These are priority elements that strengthen our position and contribution to various maritime routes.”
Although the unloading operation is expected to take around eighteen hours, the 225 stevedores responsible for ensuring its success aim to complete it before the set deadline. They will work in morning, afternoon, and night shifts, handling the unloading and placement of containers into their designated locations, as well as securing these units. A total of 130 stevedores will work in their respective shifts and specialties until 8 a.m. on Monday, with 95 continuing the work into Sunday.
Chartered by Maersk and consigned in Santa Cruz de Tenerife by Noatum Maritime Spain SA, the first vessel to arrive will be the CAP San Sounio, scheduled to enter the dock at six in the morning on Saturday from the port of Antwerp, Belgium. Once the unloading is finished, it will depart for the port of Tangier Med, Morocco, while the CAP San Artemissio, arriving from Morocco, will dock on Monday the 20th at seven in the evening.
After the loading of the previously unloaded containers is completed, it will set sail for the port of Santos in Brazil, with departure scheduled for 11:00 p.m. on Thursday.
