[140615.EN.SEA] Malta Docks Its Biggest Ship Ever - 17,722-TEU CMA CGM Kerguelen

THE biggest ship ever to call at Malta Freeport Terminals, the 17,722-TEU CMA CGM Kerguelen, docked at the Port of Marsaxlokk, reports the Malta Independent.

This vessel, which is the largest ever to call at the Freeport, has outstanding dimensions including a length of 398 metres, a width of 54 metres, reefer plugs amounting to 1,254 and a draft of 16 metres.

This vessel, which will be calling regularly at the Freeport was deployed on the French Asia Line Service operated by the Ocean Three Alliance.

This alliance commenced calling at the Freeport early this year and is made up of CMA CGM, China Shipping Container Lines and United Arab Shipping Company.

The last five ports of calls of CMA CGM Kerguelen before calling at Malta Freeport Terminals were Le Havre, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Southampton.

After Malta Freeport the vessel will be calling at the ports of Khorfakkan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Shenzhen-Yantian, Port Kelang and Tanger Med.

"The call of a vessel with this exceptional magnitude was possible as a result of the remarkable investment undertaken by the Freeport in its facilities since being privatised in 2004," said Malta Freeport Terminals CEO Alex Montebello.

"Freeport has recently extended the North Quay of Terminal Two to 513 metres to handle 18,000-TEU vessels and has also heavily invested in quay and yard cranes and various ancillary yard equipment," he said.

To remain at the forefront of the transshipment business, Malta Freeport Terminals is pursuing other development programmes which are expected to increase the annual capacity of the Port to 4.2 million TEU from the present 3.5 million TEU, said the report.

Source : HKSG.