Longest ever vessel docks at Chennai port

Chennai: Chennai port witnessed the berthing of the longest ever vessel, Maersk Serangoon, on Wednesday. With a length of 319 metres and capacity of 5,228 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units)  the Singapore flagged vessel  is the longest one to visit DP World Chennai.

 

Maersk Serangoon, which was built in 2007 and registered in Singapore, arrived as a part of the newly introduced shuttle service from the Chennai port to Oman’s transshipment port of Salalah.

 

The ship will be regularly calling at the Chennai port along with two other ships of Maersk liner as part of the weekly shuttle service via the Sri Lankan capital Colombo to Salalah.

 

The Asian cargo loaded in Chennai will be transshipped at Salalah for onward movement to Europe. Commercial reasons forced the liner service to replace a direct Asia Europe service MES with the regular shuttle service to Salalah from October 1.

 

Sources however maintained there is no reduction in traffic emanating from Chennai. To mark the occasion a felicitation ceremony was held on board. 

 

Commenting on the achievement, K.K. Krishnadas, CEO, DP World Chennai, said, “Hosting Maersk Serangoon, reinforces DP World Chennai’s leadership position among container terminals in the region. At our terminal we constantly strive to meet our customers' needs, an occasions like these highlight our ability to meet the changing dynamics of the container shipping industry.”