Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority Osama Rabie said the canal on Monday handled the transit of HUA RUI LONG, one of the world’s largest semi-submersible heavy-lift vessels, through the New Suez Canal as part of the southbound convoy on a voyage from Singapore to Denmark.
Operated by China’s Guangzhou Salvage Bureau, the 2022-built vessel is 252 meters long, 77.7 meters wide and has a draft of 10.5 metres, with a gross tonnage of 115,254 tons. It transited carrying the vessel NORTHERN ENDEAVOUR.
Rabie described the operation as a high-profile transit, noting that the vessel’s beam exceeds the canal’s standard maximum of 75 meters, requiring exceptional navigational measures. Four SCA tugboats assisted the vessel, while six senior pilots were assigned to guide it along the waterway under round-the-clock monitoring from traffic control centers.
He said the successful passage reflects the canal’s capability to accommodate large and unconventional maritime units and highlights the operational expertise of its pilots and tug crews.
Rabie added that ongoing infrastructure upgrades have enhanced navigational safety and increased capacity, reinforcing the canal’s position as the fastest, shortest and safest route for special transits.
The canal received 27 vessels of this category in 2025, in addition to four similar units in 2026.
He noted that the New Suez Canal’s straight alignment facilitates special operations, while the southern sector development project boosted navigational safety by 28 percent after widening the channel by 40 meters eastward in that stretch, enabling the transit of vessels that previously could not pass.
Rabie said the Suez Canal saved this voyage 3,432 nautical miles compared with alternative routes, reducing time, cost and carbon emissions.
The vessel had previously transited the canal empty during its maiden passage in October 2022.
