Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority, has announced that traffic through the Canal has witnessed the transit of the mega container ship CMA CGM GRAND PALAIS, the newest and largest environmentally-friendly container ship, on its first voyage through the Canal amongst vessels of the southern convoy after its safe navigation through the Strait of Bab El-Mandab on its way from Singapore to Malta.
The vessel affiliated to CMA CGM is considered the world's largest LNG-powered container ship, and it operates as part of the MEX maritime service connecting ports of The Far East and the Mediterranean.
The vessel is 400 m in length, has a beam of 61 m, a maximum capacity of 23 876 TEUs and a tonnage of 240 000 t.
In accordance with the Suez Canal Authority's protocol for vessels transiting through the Canal for the first time, Rabiee delegated Chief Pilots Captain Samir Jaafar, Captain Magdy El-Rafei, and Captain Hazem Ghaith to board the ship, welcome its crew, and present a commemorative gift to the ship's master.