One of the globe’s deepest container vessels has arrived in Felixstowe. The Mumbai Maersk established a new record for having the deepest draft vessel to make a stop at Felixstowe’s Hutchison Ports.

The massive ship arrived from Bremerhaven in Germany on Saturday, November 11, with a depth of 16.8m and departed from Felixstowe on Sunday, 12 November, with a new depth of 17 meters.

The deepest ship record was set barely four weeks after an estimated £130 million project was completed to deepen the port and cargo berths.

There has been a steady rise over the past few years in the number of the most recent generation of mega-vessels operating on the main shipping route into Europe, said Robert Ashton, the COO of the Port of Felixstowe.

The Port of Felixstowe is the best-located UK port to accommodate these massive ships, and its deeper canal affords unrivalled access in the country.

According to Sarah West, chief executive associated with the Harwich Haven Authority, which handled the project:

Deepening the approach channel was a significant technical challenge and an important financial commitment for the authority.

They were delighted with the outcome and are encouraged to see that it has begun to pay dividends.