Maersk ship full of empty containers due to shortage

Maersk has sent its container ship “Soroe Maersk” (9640 teu) past the ports of Sydney and Melbourne (Australia) to collect empty containers. The containers are brought to Asia to help overcome the enormous shortage of empty containers there.

The Australia voyage of the “empty container sweeper” is as yet a one-off. The “Soroe Maersk” left Australia almost packed with empty containers towards Vietnam.

Off the port of Melbourne, the Maersk ship was immediately the longest visiting vessel in history. The Port of Melbourne and the local Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) have stated that they would love to see more large vessels to come and visit and that investment programs will ensure that the larger container ships can be received structurally by them in the future.