Giant 'Greenest' 18,800 TEU Container Ship Makes Maiden Call into Jeddah

SAUDI ARABIA – Celebrations today as what container shipping line the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) described as ‘the world’s greenest ultra-large container vessel’ the 18,800 TEU MV Al Nefud made her maiden call into the Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) at Jeddah Islamic Port. The vessel is the sixth ship of this size which the company has taken into its fleet. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Nabeel Al-Amudi, President of the Saudi Ports Authority and Chairman of UASC, said:

”The arrival of MV Al Nefud at Jeddah Islamic Port is yet another significant milestone in the Port’s track-record of achievements and an indicator of the increasing importance of the port and KSA in the shipping industry. Jeddah Islamic Port is equally capable of receiving and handling vessels of this size and class. Ports are considered to be the backbone of a country’s economy and the Saudi Ports Authority always seeks to support the ongoing development in the Kingdom through providing services of the highest standards.”

The Al Nefud and her sister ships Barzan, Al Muraykh, Al Zubara, Al Dahna and Tihama are considered by the shipping company as the world’s greenest due to their outstanding environmental credentials and first-class technology on board. Waleed Al Dawood, Chief Operating Officer at UASC noted:

“UASC is very proud of its strong ties with KSA and the Saudi Ports Authority as we continue to provide our Saudi customers with efficient and effective shipping solutions using different ports in the kingdom. KSA has been one of UASC’s key shareholding nations and the Kingdom provided significant support since its establishment in 1976. UASC vessels made 300 calls to Saudi Ports in 2015 and handled 1,230,000TEU on board its own vessels to and from different Saudi Ports in the same year.

“Celebrating Al Nefud’s arrival at RSGT in Jeddah Islamic Port is an example of the strong ties between the different entities in KSA and UASC, this event is unique because it coincides with UASC’s 40th anniversary and Al Nefud is one of the largest in our fleet, as well as one of the world’s greenest vessels due to its outstanding environmental credentials. This leading class of ships has contributed greatly to lowering the CO₂ emissions of UASC’s owned fleet. As pioneers in providing sustainable shipping solutions, UASC will soon reveal a very ambitious environmental target.”

Putting these advanced vessels to the test Al Muraykh achieved a record breaking load of 18,601 TEU last month. This unprecedented westbound shipment was also UASC’s highest utilisation to date of this very eco-efficient class, meaning the CO₂ output per TEU on this journey is set to be more than 60% lower if the same containers were shipped on board a 13,500 TEU ship.

The arrival of the Al Nefud was greeted by a bevy of senior government and business dignitaries and officials as well as the principal speakers. Soren Hansen, RSGT Managing Director commented:

“We are very proud of the efficiency levels involved in handling such large vessels, producing high levels of productivity in terms of efficiency and speed at the terminal. Having both talented teams and excellent output on board is part of our customer service philosophy. The terminal is very capable of handling such vessels, serving 450 ultra-large vessels since beginning operations.”