European ports see fewer delays for mega-ships than other vessels

In Europe, mega-ships seem easier for ports to handle than the average-sized variety.

At least, that’s what a CargoSmart study found, according to the Journal of Commerce (JOC). Research indicated that, at five European ports, the average delay time for mega-ships was half what is was for ships overall. The study looked at ships of over 10,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) – which it referred to as mega-ships – and their performance at the ports of Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Felixstowe, Hamburg and Rotterdam through the month of June.

“Since carriers unleashed mega-vessels on the Asia-Europe trade, mega vessels have been visiting some of Europe’s major ports on an increased basis,” the CargoSmart newsletter noted, according to Vessel Finder. “We examined and evaluated the performance of Europe’s ports, regardless of trade lanes, in order to see if mega-vessels have or have not experienced a different performance level than other vessels at ports on overall.”

Overall research finds delays highest at Antwerp
Specifically, the schedules of 23 different ships were studied. Researchers compared the estimated arrival times of the ocean carriers with the real times of arrival, and were able to identify 1,603 unique vessel arrivals at the five ports.

Data extracted from the unique arrivals showed that more than 28.8 percent of ship arrivals were delayed by over 12 hours, while 15.5 percent were pushed back more than 24 hours, the JOC explained. Antwerp reported the highest average vessel delays through June. There, 28 percent of the 327 vessels were delayed for an average of 20.7 hours. Meanwhile, at Rotterdam, though more vessels were called at port – 497 in total – fewer were delayed, and for shorter spans of time. The port saw 19.5 percent of ships delayed for 15.4 hours.

Data for mega-ships tells a different story
When researchers extracted data for mega ships, though, they saw a totally different picture had been painted. Antwerp actually saw the lowest percentage of delays, at 5.6 percent, the JOC noted. These extra-large vessels were delayed for an average of 13.9 hours. The longest delays for these larger vessels were reported at Felixstowe. There, average setbacks measured 16.6 hours. Additionally, close to 20 percent of mega-ships calling at Hamburg experienced delays.

While all five ports saw average delays of fewer than 24 hours for all vessels observed, for mega-ships, those setbacks were even shorter. However, part of this may be attributed to the fact that these mega-ships made up a mere 10 percent of the vessels observed in the CargoSmart study.

Whether mega-ships are experiencing shorter delays than others is important because these large vessels are becoming more popular. Because they can carry so much cargo, they are generally considered a more efficient mode of transport, and the world is adapting. For example, the Suez and Panama Canals are expanding to allow larger vessels to pass through, so as to not fall behind in an industry where ships just keep getting bigger.