(CHARLESTON, S.C.) — South Carolina Ports welcomed the containership OOCL Iris to the Wando Welch Terminal on Tuesday, setting a new record for the largest vessel to call the Port of Charleston at 16,828 TEUs.
The record was previously held by CMA CGM’s Marco Polo, which first called on Wando Welch in May 2021 and has a capacity of 16,022 TEUs.
“SC Ports’ strategic infrastructure investments allow us to continue welcoming the largest ships calling the U.S. East Coast,” said SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin. “The Iris calling on the Port of Charleston is evidence of our commitment to providing highly productive port service to our customers.”
SC Ports has the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet. This critical depth allows mega containerships to access the Port of Charleston at any time, regardless of tides, enabling customers to quickly drop off and pick up cargo.
The vessel arrives as SC Ports nears completion of a yearlong critical infrastructure project along the terminal’s toe wall. The project will allow the berth to maintain a 54-foot depth, further supporting the 52-foot harbor depth.
SC Ports is investing nearly $3 billion to modernize port infrastructure, expand cargo capacity and build rail infrastructure to speed goods to market.
“Charleston’s harbor depth and widened turning basins, taller ship-to-shore cranes and highly productive terminals and maritime community all work together to provide fluidity to our customers’ supply chains,” Melvin said. “SC Ports offers expedited logistics in the booming Southeast market. This is a significant competitive advantage for the ocean carriers and cargo owners calling on the Charleston port market.”
OOCL Iris, which was unveiled in December, will join OOCL’s trans-Pacific East Coast Express (ECX1) service, serving as another connection between Asia and the U.S. East Coast.
Asia serves as SC Ports’ biggest trade lane, accounting for 50 percent of port volume. SC Ports offers 11 weekly services to and from Asia.
Charleston will be the last U.S. East Coast port in the rotation, allowing exporters to take full advantage of Charleston’s deep draft with fully loaded vessels and no tidal restrictions.
– South Carolina Ports
