The ZIM Djibouti, one of the largest containerships operating in the world, was docked at the Deltaport terminal from recently. At more than 16,000 square meters, the Djibouti has a cargo capacity in excess of 10,000 TEU, meaning it can hold over 10,000 twenty-foot shipping containers.

"The shipping capacity of the ZIM Djibouti is among the largest in the world, and the fact that this was the first of many confirmed visits is a sign that Deltaport has become a truly world class facility," said Eric Waltz, Senior Vice President, TSI Terminal Systems Inc. "The trade relationship between Canada and Asia has provided longstanding benefits to our economy, and at this time of economic uncertainty, we are proud to be a part of that."

Originally commissioned and constructed in South Korea to serve the Pacific Northwest Express (PNX) loop from East Asia to the North American West Coast, the ZIM Djibouti has dramatically cut the transport time between Asia and North America and is representative of the growth in trade between North America and Asia.

"The Deltaport Third Berth project is part of our overall strategy to expand container capacity at Port Metro Vancouver to accommodate demand for increased Canadian trade through the west coast of Canada," said Robin Silvester, President and CEO of Port Metro Vancouver. "The addition of quad cranes at Canada's largest container terminal represents the type of leading-edge technology that will allow the expanded Deltaport facility to continue to operate efficiently and provide service to vessels of the ZIM Djibouti's caliber."

Facts about the ZIM Djibouti:

  • Vessel size: 10,062 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU)
  • Vessel deadweight: 116,440 tons
  • Quantity of steel used: 37,900 tons
  • Total refrigerated container capacity: 800 forty-foot equivalent units (FEU) ' 600 on deck and 200 in holds
  • Speed of vessel: 25.8 knots