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Container terminal operator, Hutchison Ports Sohar, recently received the 17,000 TEU capacity APL Raffles, which is the biggest container vessel to call at Sohar to date. The vessel, 398.50m long overall, is deployed by CMA CGM within its China India Middle East Express 1 (CIMEX1) service.
Commenting on the call, Anacin Kum, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports Sohar, said, “At a time when the world is facing a crisis due to Covid-19, which has had a major impact on the logistics industry, the call of this 17,000 TEU class container vessel is a significant milestone and source of pride for us. We are continuing to expand our facilities and increase the number of automated equipment to handle the largest container vessels afloat, at the same time as reinforcing our commitment to create a sustainable future.”
Hutchison Ports Sohar’s capabilities have grown over the past 15 years, with the first vessel to call, the 100m long Gaia Triumph, being just a quarter of the size of APL Raffles. “This maiden call bears witness to the steady growth in both our handling capacity and our efficiency at Sohar Port. The continued smooth operations at Hutchison Ports Sohar have brought us new lines and more connections,” added Mark Geilenkirchen, Chief Executive Officer, Sohar Port and Freezone.
In 2021, the terminal recorded an increase of 200% in domestic movements compared to 2020 while the volume of full export containers recorded a year-on-year growth of 9%. The terminal also added two new direct services to its portfolio with Milaha’s NDX service connecting Sohar with India and Qatar and Aladdin Express’ new service connecting Sohar to the Far East and India.
