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Wilmington seeks nod to deepen port to accommodate 14,000 TEU ships
来源： 编辑：编辑部 发布：2018/11/24 09:52:14
The world's largest container shipping company's share of global box capacity has actually shrunk by 1.5 per cent in the last 12 months, according to analysis by Alphaliner. The carrier's main rivals have gained ground during the period, reports Singapore's Splash 247. The total capacity operated by Danish box liner and its various subsidiaries, including the likes of Hamburg Sud and Safmarine, has declined by 2.6 per cent to 4.02 million TEU, compared to 4.11 million TEU a year ago. During the same period, global capacity increased by 6 per cent to 22.69 million TEU. "Maersk is expected to continue to retreat in the next twelve months as its CEO, Soren Skou, has confirmed that it will not pursue further acquisitions or order large new ships in 2019," Alphaliner stated in its most recent weekly report. Moreover, Maersk could face an added challenge next month, when the forced withdrawal brought about by Chinese authorities from the Danish carrier's current Far East - East Coast South America partnerships will trigger a major shake-up on that trade. "Maersk is expected to come under pressure in the coming months with rivals keen to further erode its market share," Alphaliner concluded. China's Cosco has been the largest gainer in the last 12 months, with its cumulative capacity share (including OOCL) growing from 11.6 per cent to 12.4 per cent. Cosco has also had an enormous delivery schedule this year. |
SINGAPORE's APL has refined its West Asia Express (WAX) and West Asia Express 3 (WA3) services in its Asia-Gulf network to provide a wider market coverage and better connectivity between the Far East and the Middle East. The refined WA3 service will extend the network to the markets of Jubail and Bahrain from Lianyungang and Hong Kong. The improved WAX rotation will provide the additional coverage from Ningbo to Hamad and Sohar; as well as from Tianjin to Bahrain, the carrier said. "Besides an unparalleled transit time, shippers can expect to connect to APL's extensive Middle East feeder network via Jebel Ali where the WAX service calls," the liner said. The enhanced WAX service will start sailing from Tianjin on December 6 with the following port rotation: Tianjin, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shekou, Singapore, Sohar, Jebel Ali, Hamad, Bahrain, Damman, Port Klang, Singapore, Yantian, Xiamen, Ningbo, Shanghai and Busan. The improved WA3 service will commence sailing from Busan on December 4 and will rotate through Busan, Lianyungang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shekou, Singapore, Jebel Ali, Damman, Jubail, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Nansha and returning to Busan. |
THE US east coast port of Wilmington in North Carolina has submitted an application to the Army Corps of Engineers seeking permission to further dredge the turning basin to enable the gateway to handle containerships of up to 14,000 TEU. This second phase of its turning basin expansion is part of the port's US$200 million capital improvement plan and is needed to allow the largest vessels visiting the east coast to "safely and more efficiently turn around in Wilmington's harbour," according to N C Ports spokeswoman Bethany Welch. The plan calls for the turning basin to be deepened from 1,400 feet at present to 1,500 feet, N C Ports' chief operating officer Brian Clark told delegates at the Cold Chain Summit held in Wilmington. As part of the capital improvement plan, the first phase of the turning basin expansion was completed in August 2016, which included the removal of a bulk pier and dredging to expand the turning basin from 1,200 feet to 1,400 feet, reported Wilmington Biz. With ongoing berth improvements at the port (repairs and upgrades to its concrete docks), the first phase of the turning basin expansion and the addition of new cranes, the size of the ships arriving at the port has increased this year to 10,000 TEU. The two neo-Panamax cranes that arrived at the port in March are able to handle ships of up to 14,000 TEU. A third neo-Panamax crane is set to arrive next March and will take a month to become operational. When that crane arrives the port will have a total of nine ship-to-shore cranes, three neo-Panamax cranes, four post-Panamax cranes and two smaller Panamax cranes. In addition, N C Ports also aims to complete its berth improvements by next summer, which will allow the port to service two 14,000 TEU container ships at the same time, Mr Clark said, who added that port officials hope to have the turning basin project completed by mid-2019. |