Ceremony marks maiden call of M.V. Hawaiian Highway
7,500-vehicle carrier is one of world's largest RoRo vessels
Almost 200% RoRo increase in SOHAR compared to 2014
SOHAR Port and Freezone celebrated the maiden call of M.V. Hawaiian Highway, one of the world's largest vessels, at the Port's general cargo terminal on Sunday.
The new service from K-Line is a so-called post-Panamax class RoRo carrier (standing for roll-on/roll-off), with an impressive 7,500-vehicle capacity. The ship is K-Line's newest and largest vehicle carrier, with a length of almost 200 metres and a width spanning 38 metres. The vessel has a number of state-of-the-art features to allow for greater loading efficiency and it's smart construction results in a significantly lower environmental impact. Furthermore, the vessel can transport a wide variety of cargoes, including rolling stock for the rail industry.
K-Line has been a regular visitor to C. Steinweg Oman, the general cargo terminal at SOHAR Port, for many years. RoRo numbers at SOHAR have seen an impressive increase of almost 200% over the first three quarters of 2015, in comparison to this time last year, and SOHAR now handles well over 200,000 vehicles annually.
The K-Line service complements the Port's already impressive roster of direct connections, which has seen the addition of a number of major new shipping lines over the past few months. In May this year, SOHAR announced the addition of a regular service from Evergreen, and in June Hanjin added a new Far East service, directly linking SOHAR with South Korea, China, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Andre Toet, CEO of SOHAR Port, said: "Our rapid growth has positioned SOHAR as a significant regional hub. Every new direct liner connection we add in SOHAR is not only good for our own business, but it's also great for all our customers as it helps to reduce costs - and these are savings that can be passed down right along the supply chain."
SOHAR recently reported the first Toyota vehicles offloaded at the Port being taken to a state-of-the-art presales finishing centre in the adjacent Freezone. The brand new facility, built and managed by Saud Bahwan, is one of the first to be opened in what will become a significant automobile cluster in SOHAR, designed to serve the regional car and commercial vehicle industry.
SOHAR Freezone CEO, Jamal Aziz, commented: "It's great to see this part of our plans coming to fruition today; one of the world's largest vessels delivering thousands of new vehicles to the Port, with many of them destined for our new automobile cluster in SOHAR Freezone, before they are transported to regional dealerships. It is this kind of synergy that that will help us to build a sustainable logistics infrastructure to support Oman in achieving our Vision 2020 objectives."
SOHAR Port has recently been shortlisted for Port of the Year at the Maritime Standard Awards 2015, and the Best Dry Bulk Port at the IBJ Awards 2015, to be announced soon in Antwerp.
SOHAR Port and Freezone
SOHAR Port and Freezone is a deep sea port and free zone in the Middle East, situated in the Sultanate of Oman around 200 kilometres northwest of its capital Muscat. With current investments exceeding US$21 billion, it is one of the world's largest port and free zone developments and lies at the centre of global trade routes between Europe and Asia. SOHAR provides unequalled access to booming Gulf economies while avoiding the additional costs of passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The existing road network and airport and the future rail system provide direct connectivity to the Gulf, as well as to the rest of the world. Equipped with deep-water jetties capable of handling the world's largest ships, SOHAR has leading global partners that operate its container, dry bulk, liquid and gas terminals including Hutchison Whampoa, C. Steinweg Oman, Oiltanking Odfjell and Svitzer. SOHAR Port and Freezone is managed by Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC), a joint venture between the Port of Rotterdam and the Sultanate of Oman.
Media enquiries
Robert Mitchell
Marketing Consultant
OSS Oman
robert@ossoman.com
+968 9912 6962
Sharan Sunner
Senior PR Manager
OSS Oman
sharan@ossoman.com
+968 9012 5328
© Press Release 2015
