The CMA CGM Columba arrived as scheduled at the newly opened Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT). At 131,263 DWT and with a capacity of 11,500 TEU, CMA CGM Columba is the largest container vessel ever to call in Vietnam.
Located approximately 50km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, CMIT is the first container terminal in Vietnam to offer shipping lines direct access to the newly dredged and certified ‐14m Cai Mep Terminal Channel as well as offering 22 row outreach super‐post Panamax quay cranes to the world’s new generation of vessels.
“ CMA CGM is delighted to be CMIT’s first customer ” commented Jean‐Charles Tassoni , General Director of CMA CGM Vietnam. “ We are confident in the ability of CMIT to meet the growing needs of CMA and congratulate everyone involved in bringing this important new container terminal into operation ”. On her maiden voyage, CMA CGM Columba is in transit from Asia to north Europe and is the first of the newly delivered 11,500 TEU vessels now transitioning onto CMA CGM’s FAL3 service.
“ Welcoming the maiden call of CMA CGM Columba begins a new era in Vietnamese ports ” commented Michael Them Rasmussen, General Director of CMIT. “ We look forward to working in partnership with CMA CGM to achieve their performance goals in the Southeast Asia market.”
CMIT is a joint venture between APM Terminals, Vietnam National Shipping Lines and Saigon Port and represents four years of port development work by a dedicated project team.
About Cai Mep International Terminal
Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) is a joint venture between APM Terminals, Vinalines and Saigon Port.
Terminal Facts:
14 meter channel access depth,
14.5‐20 meter water depth alongside,
600 meter quay length,
48 hectare (118 acre) terminal area,
6 super post‐Panamax STS cranes (22 row reach),
840 reefer plugs,
1.1 million TEU annual throughput capacity.
About APM Terminals
APM Terminals offers an integrated Global Port, Terminal and Inland Services Network of 50 ports and terminals, and 122 inland facilities with 22,000 employees in 64 countries on five continents, with ten new terminal development or expansion projects currently underway. The liner shipping industry, served by APM Terminals and other operators, carries $4.6 trillion worth of international trade ‐ approximately one third of the total value of global commerce.
About CMA CGM
CMA CGM is the world’s third largest container shipping company and is ranked number one in France. Operating a fleet of 400 vessels, the Group serves more than 420 ports around the world. In 2010, it carried 9 million TEU (twenty‐foot equivalent units). With a presence on every3 continent and in 150 countries through its network of 650 agencies and branch offices, the Group employs 16,400 people worldwide.
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Source: apmterminals, March 30, 2011;