KFTL Hits Container Moves Milestone

Kingston Freeport Terminal Ltd (KFTL), a Jamaican consortium formed by French global terminals operator CMA CGM and its majority-owned subsidiary Terminal Link, said it recorded the best performance ever in the history of the port of Kingston in terms of container moves.

Kingston Freeport, which has leased Kingston Container Terminal, KCT, under a 30-year concession, said a total of 3,304 moves were handled within 24 hours of operation on the Post-Panamax vessel Cosco Beijing, which arrived at the terminal on January 24. That included 1,464 containers being unloaded and another 1,840 reloaded on to the vessel.

KFTL achieved an average crane productivity of 36 moves per hour and average berth performance of 136 moves per hour with only four (4) gantry cranes working on the mainliner. With this top performance on the Cosco Beijing, which has a capacity of 9,383 TEUS, KFTL is showing present and future clients that it is ready more than ever to accommodate increased volumes.

Simon Farhat, chief operating officer at KFTL noted that especially for the transhipment market, fast and efficient performance is the key success factor. “The challenge is to maintain these levels so that more business can come to Jamaica,” he noted.

“All of us at KFTL are aiming to keep this level of performance and are looking forward to continued growth and success,” Farhat shared.

KFTL facilitates the import and export of goods to and from Jamaica and also serves as a transshipment hub that connects a network of international shipping routes.