SWAKOPMUND, 25 APR (NAMPA) - The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) in Walvis Bay on Friday received the largest vessel to ever dock in Namibian waters at the new container terminal.
The Maersk Sheerness is 335.41 metres long, 43.16 metres wide and has a 7 500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) capacity which is similar to a 9 000 TEUs class vessel.
Namport's Commercial Executive Immanuel !Hanabeb described the arrival of the vessel as greatly significant, not only to the ports authority but to the entire country.
"This is not only consistent with our values and drive to becoming Africa?s Number 1 Port Authority but also places Namibia in a more competitive position as it now can accommodate bigger vessels", !Hanabeb said.
The shipping industry has over the past months adopted a new modus operandi of using bigger vessels as opposed to multiple small vessels to transport cargo.
This, according to Namport, is to save on operational costs and consolidate resources.
He added that for the entity to be able to compete with other ports, Namport last year officially inaugurated its state-of-the-art container terminal valued at N.dollars 4 billion and it is due to this that the country is now in a position to accommodate such large vessels.
"In addition, a milestone of this nature shows the significance of Namport?s investment into the future by equipping and preparing its staff members with the required skills for similar jobs ahead of time."
The plans to bring Maersk Sheerness started mid last year, Namport revealed.
The vessel departed later on Friday.
SOURCE: Nampa
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