Container Shipping Line Sees Its Largest TEU Carrier Ever to Enter Port

UAE – Container shipping line United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) and Gulftainer, the privately-owned, independent port operator based in the UAE, marked the maiden call of UASC’s 15,000 TEU MV Linah into Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT), at an event yesterday. The ship is the largest UASC vessel to call at Khorfakkan Port to date, and is one of the ships built as part of UASC’s newbuilding programme costing over $2.3 billion and comprising 17 ships to be delivered between November 2014 and 2016, of which 11 are 15,000 TEU vessels and six are 18,800 TEU vessels.

UASC is claiming its new fleet is world’s greenest due to the technology aboard giving the ships outstanding environmental credentials, and confirming the vessels were ranked among the best performing carriers based on CO₂ emissions in a recent progress report by Business for Social Responsibility’s (BSR) Clean Cargo Working Group. Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Waleed Al Dawood, Chief Operating Officer at UASC said:

“Today, we are very proud to celebrate the arrival of our 15,000 TEU vessel to KCT with our partner, Gulftainer and a number of our key customers. The arrival of MV Linah at Khorfakkan Port is an indicator of KCT’s track-record in maintaining the highest standards of operational efficiency. Today is also an example of the strong ties between Khorfakkan Port, Gulftainer and UASC. Together, we continue to provide our UAE customers with efficient and effective green shipping solutions, with UASC vessels making a significant 428 calls to Khorfakkan in 2015. This event is also notable as it coincides with UASC’s 40th anniversary, a milestone we are very proud to share with our partners.”

To date, UASC has taken delivery of six 18,800 TEU class vessels and seven 15,000 TEU class vessels, the latter being some of the first in the world to receive an Energy Efficiency Certificate with documented Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI). Flemming Dalgaard, CEO, Gulftainer, observed:

“We are extremely pleased to welcome UASC’s largest ship to the Khorfakkan Container Terminal, and congratulate the company’s leadership for their successful achievements over the last 40 years, including the advanced newbuilding program. Gulftainer has made huge strides in improving our capabilities at Khorfakkan, and we thank UASC for their continued confidence in our ability to deliver to their needs.”