The Kazimah III (IMO: 9329693, Port of Registry: Safat, Kuwait) is a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with its length of 333 metres, width of 60 metres, draught of 22 metres and a deadweight tonnage of 317,000. She is the first tanker to be received within the fleet renewal program of its owner Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. At present, KOTC operates about 25 vessels of which 8 VLCC's. The Kazimah III was built in 2006 by Hyundai Heavy Industries, Korea.
Since the Suez Canal can currently only accommodate ships with draughts of up to 17.5 metres, the Kazimah III has to discharge some oil at the Ain Sukhna terminal on the Gulf of Suez. From there oil is transported by pipeline to Sidi Kerir Terminal on the Mediterranean, where the vessel loads it again for further transport. The Egyptian government plans to widen and deepen the Suez Canal, so that by 2010 it can accommodate VLCCs and ULCCs. In 2001, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) launched a 5-year program to reduce tanker transit times (from 14 hours to 11 hours) through the Canal. The SCA also is moving ahead with a project to widen and deepened the Canal to allow for transit of larger ships than the 200,000-dead-weight-ton maximum now.
The Kazimah III has entered the Port of Rotterdam this morning and is currently discharging at the MOT Terminal.
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