Staff Writer
The Namibian Ports Authority received one of the largest vessels to ever dock in Namibian waters; CMA CGM operated MV Mediterranean Bridge, with the length of 335.63 meters.
This comes after the Port of Walvis Bay successfully handled a trial call of the first 9,000 TEUs Maersk Sheerness with the length of 335 meters in April.
The Mediterranean Bridge is discharging 1,781 TEU’s and loading 697 TEU’s, which amounts to a record of 2,478 TEU’s handled on a single vessel at the Port of Walvis Bay and the vessel is scheduled to depart on 25th June 2020.
Amando Legner, Managing Director CMA CGM Namibia said that this is great progress and he is proud to be a part of this milestone and thanked the Namport team for making this happen. He further stated that, “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”
“Two successful calls by 9,000 TEU vessels at the Port of Walvis Bay within 30 days is a massive step towards achievement of one million TEU’s as enunciated in the Harambee Prosperity Plan,” Immanuel !Hanabeb, Namport’s Executive: Commercial.
This comes as Maersk made history last weekend at the Port of Walvis Bay when they broke their own African record for reefer lifts on a single vessel, SANTA ROSA.
Reefers are containers which carry refrigerated cargo like citrus, meat and fish.
A record of 334 live (full) reefers were lifted at the Port of Walvis Bay.
“Santa Rosa sailed from Walvis Bay carrying a record of 1,763 live reefers primarily of South African fruit beating previous record of Maersk Lebu of 1,682 live reefers.Maersk and Safmarine accounts for 1,326 of those 1,763 reefers which is also a new record beating previous record of 1,244,” !Hanabeb said.
Louis Coetzee, Maersk Port Captain (Angola and Namibia), thanked the Namport team led by Adolph Egumbo for their assistance in breaking an African record and being part of maritime history. He further expressed his gratitude for a job well done and productivity achieved during these difficult times.
“The Port of Walvis Bay continues to play a significant role in regional trade as the key gateway and transshipment port of choice. This can be attributed to its location, productivity and the seamless logistics that the port offers as well as its capacity to deliver on the customer satisfaction promise.”
Meanwhile, the Namibian Ports Authority through its Social Investment Fund, recently donated a mobile office to the Navy Commander of the Namibian Police in the Erongo region.
The office is intended to be used by the men and women in uniform staffing the Walvis Bay COVID-19 checkpoint. The need arose due to the fact that the staff members deployed at the checkpoint were being exposed to unfriendly weather elements which hampered their performance.
