Suez Canal sees transit of HUA RUI LONG world’s largest heavy-lift vessels

Egypt’s Suez Canal witnessed on Monday the transit of the heavy-lift vessel HUA RUI LONG—one of the largest of its kind in the world—through the new southern canal route, after passing Bab el-Mandeb on its journey from Singapore to Denmark.

Operated by China’s Guangzhou Salvage Bureau, the modern vessel was built in 2022, measuring 252 metres in length, 77.7 metres in width, with a draft of 10.5 metres and a total capacity of 115,254 tons. Onboard, it carried the ship NORTHERN ENDEAVOUR.

The vessel’s width exceeds the canal’s maximum allowable 75 metres, making its transit a specialised operation secured by four SCA tugboats. Six senior Suez Canal Authority (SCA) pilots guided the vessel, supported by real-time monitoring from the main traffic office and pilot stations along the canal.

Admiral Osama Rabie, SCA Chairman, said the successful transit highlights the canal’s readiness to accommodate various ship types and sizes, and demonstrates the expertise of its pilots and tugboat captains.

He noted that recent infrastructure projects, including the New Suez Canal and southern sector development, have increased navigational safety by 28 per cent, expanded capacity, and enabled the canal to host specialised marine units previously unable to transit. Rabie added that using the Suez Canal saves time, costs, and reduces harmful carbon emissions, with this journey saving an estimated 3,432 nautical miles compared with alternative routes.

The HUA RUI LONG had first transited the canal empty on its maiden voyage in October 2022.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English