Measuring in at just shy of a quarter mile, the CMA CGM Marco Polo will be headed up the Savannah River on Wednesday, showcasing both the jewel of CMA CGM Group shipping and the ability of the Port of Savannah to handle the world’s largest cargo ships.
“At CMA CGM, we are dedicated to providing solutions for our customers. The deployment of the CMA CGM MARCO POLO is yet another indicator of our flexibility and commitment to delivering the essentials that keep America moving,” said Ed Aldridge, president of CMA CGM America and APL North America. “It is also important to mention that this milestone would not be possible without the efforts of our port partners on the East Coast. Their intelligent, timely infrastructure improvements to support larger ships make it possible for us to proactively respond to the needs of our customers.”
The CMA CGM Marco Polo
The CMA CGM Marco Polo carries more than 16,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and was the largest container ship in the world for a time after it was completed in 2012 (it has since been surpassed by the Maersk Triple E class). At nearly 1,300 feet, the ship is longer than all but seven buildings in the United States are tall – imagine turning the Empire State Building or the Bank of America Plaza in Atlanta on their sides and then attaching a wheel and a humongous motor and taking it for a ride in the ocean.
At the Georgia Foreign Trade Conference last month, the Georgia Ports Authority reported fiscal year numbers to date showing a record volume. Governor Brian Kemp made an appearance and talked about how important a role the Georgia Ports Authority play in the economy of the state.
“As one of our most important assets for economic development, our ports play an important role in driving employment and opportunity for communities in every corner of the Peach State,” said Governor Kemp, who addressed the opening session of the GFTC. “Expansion of both capacity and capability at the Port of Savannah will help fuel our continued economic recovery, which is excellent news for hardworking Georgians employed across a wide range of industries.”
Laid end-to-end, the containers fitting on the vessel would span more than 60 miles – an image that calls to mind the trains and hundreds, or thousands, of trucks that will carry the products across the country away from their unloading in Savannah. The ship is setting records for both the U.S. and Canada as it hits the Port of Halifax, Port of New York and New Jersey and Port of Virginia before arriving in Savannah.
Georgia’s role as a logistics center for not only the South but also the entire country continues to garner new investment from the legislature, both for freight rail infrastructure and further expansion for the Port of Savannah.
“I am proud of how our team has not only handled unprecedented cargo volume, but simultaneously advanced long-term capacity enhancements that existed only on paper into fully-funded projects that will begin coming online this September,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch.
