“This vessel is the manifestation of years of hard work preparing for this newer class of vessels,” said Jeff Theobald, executive director and CEO of PhilaPort. “It has always been our goal to be able to handle these vessels, which have become the workhorse of maritime trade around the world.”
With a capacity for 16,020 containers, the Marco Polo is 180 longer than Philadelphia’s tallest building, the Comcast Technology Tower. Marco Polo’s length is more than four football fields and would span 2.6 Philadelphia blocks.
“We are thrilled to finally bring a vessel of this size up the Delaware River,” said Captain David Cuff, president of the Pilots Association of the Bay, and River Delaware. “We always knew that we could pilot this size of ship up the Delaware River – safety was and is the highest priority. To be sure it could transit safely, a dozen of our most experienced pilots spent valuable hours training in the simulator at MITAGS (Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies).”
The cargo being transported by vessel to the port consists of fruit and vegetables, such as clementines from Morocco. Typically, food products valued at over $5 billion move up the Delaware River per year.
“This vessel’s arrival in Philadelphia will be noticed by shippers and shipping executives all over the world,” said Eric Holt, chief commercial officer of Holt Logistics. “It represents the next great chapter of the Port.”
The Port of Philadelphia has experienced a container growth of 74 percent since 2015. Vessels like the M/V CMA CGM Marco Polo, which call at The Port of Philadelphia, can generate up to 565 direct and indirect jobs and $5 million in state and local taxes. PhilaPort is one of the most important economic engines in Southeast Pennsylvania, generating approximately 12,020 direct and indirect jobs.
