History made by largest ship ever to travel down Thames

The largest ship ever to enter the Thames arriving at DP World London Gateway has been described as an 'historic moment'.

The 397-metre-long, 56-metre-wide Edith Maersk has a draught of 16 metres and carries up to 15,500 TEU (20-foot equivalent units).

DP World London Gateway CEO Simon Moore said: “The arrival of the Edith Maersk is a historic moment. This is one of the world’s largest ships and the biggest ever to enter the Thames. Our high-tech facilities give us the capability to handle ships like Edith Maersk only 30 miles from the centre of London.'

The Edith Maersk is deployed on Maersk Line’s AE2 (Asia-Europe 2) service. Its next stop is Singapore.

Of DP World London Gateway, the UK’s new deepwater container port, Moore added: 'By bringing the biggest ships in the world closer to UK consumers we are now reducing UK import and export costs. As we approach our first year of opening, we are delighted to see Edith Maersk at DP World London Gateway.”