First arrival of 10,000 TEU ship at newly expanded OICT
SOHAR Port and Freezone will reach one of its most important milestones with the arrival of the first 10,000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) ship at the newly expanded Oman International Container Terminal (OICT) on 23rd May 2014.
Under the auspices of His Excellency Dr Ahmed Mohammed Salem Al-Futaisi, Minister for Transport and Communication, SOHAR, thanks to OICT expansion and installation of new post-panamax cranes, was delighted to welcome the APL shipping line’s Savannah, the first 10,000 (TEU) ship to dock in the Port.
OICT signed the development agreement early last year for expansion of a 70-hectare container terminal. The development will increase capacity from 800,000 TEU to 1,500,000 TEU and will also see yard space more than double from 28 hectares, installation of seven post-panamax quay cranes and 14 rubber-tyred gantry cranes.
The investment in the new expansion totals US$130 million, and the state of the art facilities, award winning technology and port depth will mean the current maximum vessel size will increase from 6,500 TEU to in excess 10,000 TEU. This increased capability will further underscore SOHAR’s competitive position; already many of the world’s most renowned shipping companies such as Maersk Line, UASC, CMA and APL operate from the existing container terminal. These recent developments enable shipping lines to bring their mainline vessels directly into Oman. Maersk Line was the first to embrace the move of commercial activity from Muscat and announce their commitment to SOHAR.
SOHAR Port and Freezone Chief Executives Andre Toet and Jamal Aziz were both eager to outline exactly what this latest development means for SOHAR; Andre Toet said: “We are committed and geared towards catering for, and creating growth in container traffic. We’re in prime position to attract shipping lines to channel their North Oman specific boxes through SOHAR rather than Jebel Ali or other neighbouring ports.“
Jamal Aziz continued: “This is another milestone in the story of SOHAR Port and Freezone. From humble beginnings we’ve now developed into one of the fastest growing Port and Freezones in the world and now eagerly look to the future to continue our incredible success story.“
Source and Image Credit: SOHAR Port
