Saturday, Sep 01, 2012
Abu Dhabi -- Commeridal activities started at Terminal One of Khalifa Port yesterday [Saturday], making it the first semi-automated port in the MENA region.
“The Dh 26.5 billion project will act as an economic gateway of trade for Abu Dhabi, and has been completed before the required time while meeting the highest standards,” said Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC).
The Khalifa Port is an artificial island which stands five kilometres off-shore adjacent to the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi. Depite being in its first phase, the Port’s container terminal has a capacity of 2.5 million containers a year, with an additional 2.5 million which will be seen as it reaches its second phase (Terminal 2).
That capacity could be reached “in three to five years,” said Martijn Van De Linde, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi Terminals, which operates Khalifa Port.
The size of the island hosting the offshore part of the port is 2.7 square kilometres (1.08 square miles), equivalent to 400 football pitches.
Its total area, including onshore, is 9.1 square kilometres (3.64 square miles).
Both ADPC and DP World , the world’s third-largest port operator and owner of Jebel Ali, dismissed suggestions that they could end up competing for market share. ADPC maintains that Khalifa is a destination port, unlike Jebel Ali which focuses on transhipments to other ports.
The port features the UAE’s longest bridge, called the Emirates Aluminium trestle bridge which is over one kilometre in length as well as the second-longest bridge in the capital.
The project’s operation came parallel to the Mina Zayed’s nearing of its full capacity. The Mina Zayed, which was set up 40 years ago under the patronage of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Rashed Al Maktoom, and was Abu Dhabi’s first and only port.
Khalifa Port officially received its first ship, a 366-metre long MSC Bari, at 7 a.m. yesterday morning. The ship which is one of the largest and newest Post-Panamax container ships in the world, has a gross capactity of transporting 14,000 containers and would not normally fit in the Mina Zayed.
By Nada AlTaher Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
