CAIRO: The semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel HUA RUI LONG transited the Suez Canal on Feb. 23 as part of the southbound convoy, according to the Suez Canal Authority. The authority said the vessel was moving from Singapore to Denmark after navigating the Bab el-Mandeb strait, carrying the vessel NORTHERN ENDEAVOUR on its deck. Canal officials described the passage as a specialized operation because of the carrier’s overall dimensions.
HUA RUI LONG was built in 2022 and is affiliated with China’s Guangzhou Salvage Bureau, the authority said. It measures 252 meters in length and 77.7 meters in breadth, with a gross tonnage of 115,254 tons. The authority said the vessel’s breadth exceeds the canal’s maximum permissible breadth of 75 meters, requiring additional safeguards to complete the transit while maintaining navigational safety and traffic continuity.
The authority said four Suez Canal Authority tugboats supported the transit, and six senior canal pilots were assigned to guide the vessel through the waterway. Traffic control centers and pilotage stations monitored the operation in real time, the authority said. Adm. Ossama Rabiee, chairman and managing director of the Suez Canal Authority, said the canal’s handling of specialized transits reflects the readiness of its waterway, pilots, and tugboat crews to accommodate a wide range of vessel sizes and types.
Special navigational operation
Rabiee said the Suez Canal has expanded its ability to manage complex passages through infrastructure upgrades carried out over recent years. He said the canal received 27 vessels of this class in 2025, with four more transiting since the start of 2026. The authority also pointed to the role of the New Suez Canal in supporting special transits, citing its straighter course and reduced curvature as factors that can improve handling of large vessels.
The authority said development work in the canal’s southern sector has improved navigational safety and expanded capacity for ships that previously could not transit. It cited a 28% increase in the navigational safety factor and said the project enabled a 40-meter eastward expansion of the canal’s width. The authority said such projects have strengthened the canal’s position as a key route for mega vessels and specialized maritime units.
Distance and time savings
Rabiee said routing the voyage through the Suez Canal provided measurable savings compared with alternative passages. The authority said the canal saved the voyage about 3,432 nautical miles, which it linked to reduced time and operating costs, while also cutting harmful carbon emissions associated with longer routes. The authority framed the transit as part of broader efforts to offer efficient passage for oversized vessels, supported by tug assistance, pilot expertise, and traffic management along the waterway.
The authority said HUA RUI LONG previously transited the Suez Canal in ballast on its first voyage through the canal in October 2022. The latest transit, it said, underscores the canal’s capacity to accommodate heavy-lift movements that require tailored procedures, including additional tugs and senior pilot assignments, while keeping scheduled convoys moving. The authority did not provide a timetable for the onward voyage but confirmed the destination as Denmark. – By Content Syndication Services.