New Suez Canal experienced one of the hardest passage of a reared towed Offshore Support Vessel
Admiral Mohab Mamessh, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, and Chairman of Suez Canal Economic Zone, stated on Thursday that the Suez Canal witnessed the passage of the oil floating Storage vessel / FIRENZE FPSO reared towed by five SCA tugs. The vessel's trip was within the southbound convoy as she was heading from Italy to Dubai, through the new Suez Canal where special navigational aids are provided and where the route is clear of severe curves, the matter that facilitated its towage through the Canal.
Upon directives from Admiral Mameesh, all measures and arrangements that guarantee the safe and secure passage of the vessel were provided, where 6 highly trained and well experienced pilots were assigned to her transit, and 5 large tugs were used to tow the vessel from aft, including MT/ Ezzat Adel, the biggest tug in the Middle east; thus the process formed the hardest towage in the new Suez Canal.
The vessel FIRENZE FPSO is an offshore Support Vessel, built in 1989, and sails under the flag of Italy, with overall length of 268m, beam 42.5m, total deadweight 90, 000 tons , gross tonnage 59,000 ton, and with a draught of 8.5 m.
Adm. Mameesh reaffirmed the Canal's readiness for accommodating current and next generations of all types of vessels, which even becomes more feasible after the success of the project of the New Suez Canal that developed and promoted the capacity of the navigational waterway; by increasing dimensions, depths, draughts, of the Canal and lengthening its double by-passes so that the Canal can cope with the new requirements of the revolutionized shipbuilding industry. In addition to maximize benefit of the Canal from the expected boom in world seaborne trade traffic. Adm. Mameesh paid tribute to the SCA pilots and staff of Transit Dept. for their sincere efforts that crowned the transit of the vessel with success.
The Canal registered the passage of 55 vessels from both directions with total gross tonnage of 4.1 million tons, from them were 30 southbound vessels with gross tonnage of 2.3 million tons and 25 northbound vessels of 1.8 million tons gross tonnage capacity.
The Canal registered as well the passage of 8 big vessels each of above 150,000 gross tonnage capacity, while it registered the transit of two vessels of the category of 100,000 to 150,000 ton gross tonnage capacity.
The largest vessel of the southbound convoy was CMA CGM LOUIS BLERIOT, one of the largest container ships in the world of gross tonnage of 227,000 tons, hoisting flag of Malta, heading from Spain to Dubai, while the largest of the northbound convoy was MSC LIVORNO, German flag, with gross tonnage of 157, 000 tons heading from Singapore to Egypt.
