Posted on February 20, 2025
South Carolina Ports today received the largest vessel to call on the Port of Charleston at the Wando Welch Terminal.
The OOCL Iris, which was unveiled in December 2024, can hold 16,828 TEUs. Previously, the largest vessel to come into the port was CMA CGM’s Marco Polo, which had a capacity of 16,022 TEUs, or 20-feet equivalent units, according to a news release from South Carolina Ports.
“S.C. Ports’ strategic infrastructure investments allow us to continue welcoming the largest ships calling the U.S. East Coast,” Barbara Melvin, S.C. Ports president and CEO, said in the release. “The Iris calling on the Port of Charleston is evidence of our commitment to providing highly productive port service to our customers.”
The OOCL Iris will join OOCL’s Trans-Pacific East Coast Express service as another connection between Asia and the U.S. East Coast, according to the release. S.C. Ports’ biggest trade lane is Asia, which accounts for 50% of the volume, conducting 11 weekly services.
S.C. Ports has the deepest harbor on the East Coast at 52 feet, allowing mega container ships to access the ports at any time, no matter the tides, the release said. The ship arrived as the port plans to complete a project on the terminal’s toe wall that will support a 54-foot depth of berth.
“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. “S.C. 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.”
S.C. Ports in investing about $3 billion to update port infrastructure and expand cargo capacity, the release said.
The release said Charleston will be the last East Coast port in the rotation for OOCL Iris.
