Onne Multipurpose Terminal hosts PILs 6,600 TEU container ship KOTA CEMPAKA
By Steve Agbota, Lagos
History was made at the Onne Port Complex recently as leading container terminal operator, Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT) hosted the largest container ship ever to carry out full operations at an eastern port.
The container ship, named KOTA CEMPAKA and owned by Pacific International Lines (PIL), is 300 metres long and has the capacity to carry 6,600 TEUs of containers.
On the large container ships maiden call at the Onne Port on April 27, 2024, it loaded and discharged over 2,000 containers full of Nigerian imports and exports.
Speaking during a reception on the maiden voyage of the ship to Onne Port, the Chief Operations Officer of Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT), James Stewart, said the successful berthing and operation of the vessels mark a major milestone for the terminal and for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
“We are proud that PIL trusts OMT with handling its large vessels in Onne. The arrival of such large vessels is part of a global trend where shipping lines are upscaling vessel sizes to achieve economies of scale and reduce transport costs for Nigerian importers and exporters,” Stewart said.
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Also speaking, the Managing Director of OMT, Jacob Gulmann said: “OMT is partnering with Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to ensure that we are ready for these larger vessels. For example, NPA is working tirelessly to ensure the water depth is 12 meters in the port. This is crucial to allowing this new generation of vessels to call Onne Port. We thank the MD of NPA, Mr Mohammed Koko Bello, and Onne Port Manager, Mr Raymond Adigun, for their foresight and long-term vision.
“OMT is proud of this milestone which is a testament to the companys contribution to Nigerias logistics sector. OMT started operations in 2021 and has since then contributed to reducing vessel waiting times in Onne Port while also doubling container capacity and enhancing competition to the benefit of all customers,” he said.
Gulmann said the achievement would not have been possible without the cooperation of OMTs many stakeholders in Nigeria and abroad.
“We thank all our partners and in particular, I would like to congratulate and thank all my OMT colleagues for their dedication and hard work which has made this day possible,” he said.
OMT is a state-of-the-art container terminal operating with 750 meters of deep-water berths, 12-meter water depth, two state-of-the-art mobile harbour cranes,15 terminal trucks, seven reach stackers, three empty handlers and 125 reefer plugs. The terminal is powered by an in-house power station and run by the latest IT systems from Navis Terminal Operating System and SAP, making it possible for it to handle all types of cargo.