The Yuzhny seaport has received 61 capesize vessels with 175,000 deadweight tons since the beginning of this year. According to the Yuzhny port authority, the port processed a total of 260 vessels of this type in 2014 and 2015, thanks to the reconstruction of the sea approach canal and inland waterway approach to the port’s deep-water berths.
"Vessels of the capesize class have long ceased to be a rarity at the Yuzhny seaport’s deep-water berths. Moreover, we have already successfully received vessels of the Newcastlemax class: Fakarava, Cancun, and others. This is a direct priority of the port because the larger a vessel, the higher the amount of port charges. For example, if a capesize vessel enters the port to load 175,000 tons, the Ukrainian Port Authority receives about USD 315,000-320,000 in port fees," the Yuzhny port authority’s head Maksym Shirokov is quoted as saying.
Currently, the water depth in all areas of the port has reached 19 meters as a result of the reconstruction work, which has made it possible for the port’s berths Nos. 5 and 6 to handle ships with a draft of 18.5 meters since June 2014.
As reported earlier, for the first time in the history of Ukrainian seaports, 203,590 tons of iron-ore concentrate was loaded onto the Mineral Edo bulk carrier at the Yuzhny seaport’s berth No. 6 on 30 August 2015. The bulk carrier was loaded to a draft of 18.5 meters.
Capesize ships vessels generally have deadweights of more than 150,000 tons. Most of the vessels of this size are supertankers of the type VLCC and ULCC, as well as large ore carriers with an average of 175,000 deadweight tons. Most commonly, the term capesize applies to bulk carriers. The increased demand for raw materials as a result of China's economic growth has led to an increase in demand for ships of this class.
