CMIT Welcomes First 14,000 TEU Box Ship
Photo: APM Terminals
Photo: APM Terminals
On October 29, 2015 Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) received the maiden call of the 14,000 TEU m/v CSCL Star, the ultra large container vessel (ULCV) of 157,000 DWT, deployed in the Ocean 3 Alliance, marking the first Vietnam/Northern Europe direct service.
Notably, within the last week, two feeder services have also started to call at CMIT to connect both the local Vietnamese export cargo and the international export cargo from Thailand and Cambodia, all transshipped through CMIT.
“This operation fits well into the vision of CMIT to be the first container hub port for domestic and international transshipment,” said Robert Hambleton, General Director, CMIT. “The transshipment operation is also supported by the Vietnamese Government, as Vietnam positions itself within the Cai Mep deep-water container port group to best serve the Europe-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement which was agreed to in September.”
The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport, Vinamarine and the VMS have all played a crucial role in making this ULCV port call happen by funding the Cai Mep channel maintenance dredging. This recent work has brought the channel depth down to 13.2 meters at low water, in time to receive the CSCL Star.
“Collectively, the Ministry of Transport, Vinamarine and CMIT have created a new and distinctive advantage for the Cai Mep deep water port group, now capable of handling the 14,000 TEU ULCV; a capability previously reserved for the ASEAN hubs in Singapore and Malaysia,” Nguyen Xuan Ky, CMIT Deputy General Director, commented.
A welcome event to mark the port call was organized by CMIT and attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Transport, Vinamarine and the Local Province, together with the Danish Ambassador.
