The mega-bulk carrier MAXI BRAZIL Cairo – Yousry Mohammed The head of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Mohab Mamish, said that, on Saturday, they received the mega-bulk carrier MAXI BRAZIL. It is considered to be the largest vessel to transit the Suez Canal since its inauguration. In a statement that was issued by the SCA on Sunday, Mamish stated that the vessel, which is 320.6 metres long and 54m wide, has a deadweight of about 265,800 tons. It is carrying raw iron coming from Ukraine and heading towards China and crossed with a draught of 62 feet. The transit was a major challenge to the SCA due to the vessel’s huge size and, as such, several technical studies and exact calculations were carried out before its passage. In addition, a number of experts were appointed to guide the vessel.
The vessel was given special dispensation to transit by the head of the Suez Canal in order to try and attract similar vessels to follow suit, particularly with the growth of the Chinese economy and increased demand of raw iron from the Black Sea.
In the same statement, Mamish added that ‘the vessel’s transit is the culmination of continuous efforts by the SCA to develop the canal so that it is able to receive larger vessels which, in turn, will lead to an increase in Egypt’s revenue from it. Moreover, this is also the result of the ongoing marketing policies that are being carried out tirelessly by the canal’s authority. The aim is to attract the international maritime fleet and to ensure that the canal does not lose any customer or tons of goods that are able to cross the Suez Canal, thus increasing the national income of Egypt.’
He went on to say that, "the success of SCA in receiving this vessel and other similar ones, is a real challenge, but one in which the SCA is certainly succeeding. This is the first time that the tonnage has exceeded 260,000 tons and this can only be seen as a positive sign regarding the increase of the capabilities of Suez Canal."