Two of the monster Maersk containers ships are expected this week, but only one will be arriving and departing in daylight.

The Carsten Maersk is expected at 9.15pm tonight and is scheduled to depart for China at 4.45pm Tuesday.

The Maersk La Paz is expected from Chile at noon on Friday and is scheduled to depart for Taiwan at 8am Saturday.

Carsten Maersk is similar in size to the Aotea Maersk which inaugurated the Maersk triple star service on October 4.

Carsten Maersk is 347m long, 42.8m wide and has a current draught of 9.5m The Maersk La Paz is shorter at only 300m, wider with a beam of 45m, and has a current draught of 13.9m.

Port of Tauranga is the first New Zealand port able to berth ships the size of the Carsten and Aotea Maersk.

The efficiencies that these larger vessels bring are significant, with the associated savings in both fuel usage and carbon emissions critical to ensuring shipping services are sustainable – both commercially and environmentally, says Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns at the recent Port of Tauranga annual meeting.

'Being big ship-capable also enables New Zealand to be included on more mainline shipping routes,” says Mark. 'The enhanced Maersk Triple Star service will stop in Tauranga en route from South America to North East Asia, giving New Zealand exporters express, direct access to Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan.”

The port dredging plan which was completed in August, was not only undertaken for container ships says Mark.

During the year, the world's largest log ship, the Ultramax class SBI Maia, was chartered by TPT Forests and made its maiden voyage to the port. TPT managed to load 53,000 cubic metres onto the vessel, in what is believed to be the largest single shipment of logs and lumber – around 75 per cent more than an average sized log ship.

'Following the dredging completion, the giant cruise ship Ovation of the Seas will be making her maiden visit on Boxing Day this year and then call another two times during the summer,” says Mark. 'This Royal Caribbean vessel is 347 metres long, 50 metres high and will bring nearly 4,900 tourists to the Bay of Plenty. It should be quite a spectacle coming around the Mount, for Mount Maunganui and Tauranga locals.”

At low tide, Port of Tauranga shipping channels are now 14.5 metres deep inside the harbour and 15.8 metres outside the harbour.