Recently Onne Port Complex, in Rivers State hosted a container vessel with about 7000 TEU.
Before the ship’s arrival, she sailed through the Gulf of Guinea and pointed herself towards the West Africa coast.
It will be the second time a vessel of that size will be arriving at Onne in Rivers State.
The ship’s arrival was another groundbreaking voyage, which aimed, among other things, to inspire the business community to the future potentials of the port.
Strategically located, the Port is one of the largest Oil and Gas Free Zone in the world supporting exploration and production for Nigerian activities. The Free Zone provides a logistics Oil Service centre for the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria both Onshore and Offshore. It also provides easy access to the entire West African and Sub-Sahara Oil fields
History was really made on that day following the successful berthing of the vessel at Onne Port Complex, by the leading container terminal operator, Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT) which hosted the largest container ship ever to carry out full operations at an Eastern port.
The container ship, named KOTA CEMPAKA is owned by Pacific International Lines (PIL), is 300 metres long, and has the capacity to carry 7000 TEUs of containers.
The vessel christened “KOTA CEMPAKA” with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) number 9638965 sailed under the flag of Singapore.
On the large container ship’s maiden call at the Onne Port it loaded and discharged over 2,000 containers full of Nigerian imports and exports.
The landmark arrival of the KOTA CEMPAKA showcases the Port’s ability to handle one of the world’s largest container ships, an outcome of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and OMT key investments over the past few years.
Improvements such as the deepening Program, which increased the draft of the shipping channel, had readied the Port to welcome the next generation of ultra-large container vessels.
Being one of the largest container vessels to ever call at Onne, it was welcomed by the the Ag Port Manager Mr Abudulrahmon Hussain ,the Chief Operations Officer of Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT), James Stewart, the Managing Director of OMT, Jacob Gulmann,
Speaking during a reception on the maiden voyage of the ship to the Port, the Chief Operations Officer of Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT), James Stewart said the successful berthing and operation of the vessels marked a major milestone for the terminal and for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
“We are proud that PIL trusts OMT with handling its large vessels in Onne. The arrival of such large vessels is part of a global trend where shipping lines are upscaling vessel sizes to achieve economies of scale and reduce transport costs for Nigerian importers and exporters,” Stewart said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of OMT, Jacob Gulmann said, “OMT is partnering with Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to ensure that we are ready for these larger vessels. ”
He added “For example, NPA is working tirelessly to ensure the water depth is 12 meters in the port. This is crucial to allow this new generation of vessels to call Onne Port. We thank the MD of NPA, Mr. Mohammed Koko Bello, and Onne Port Ag.Port Manager, Mr Abudulrahmon Hussain for their farsightedness and long-term vision.
“OMT is proud of this milestone which is a testament to the company’s contribution to Nigeria’s logistics sector. OMT started operations in 2021 and has since then contributed to reducing vessel waiting times in Onne Port while also doubling container capacity and enhancing competition to the benefit of all customers,” he said.
Gulmann said the achievement would not have been possible without the cooperation of OMT’s many stakeholders in Nigeria and abroad.
“We thank all our partners and in particular, I would like to congratulate and thank all my OMT colleagues for their dedication and hard work which has made this day possible,” he said.
OMT is a state-of-the-art container terminal operating with 750 meters of deep-water berths, 12 meters water depth, two state-of-the-art mobile harbour cranes, 15 terminal trucks, seven reach stackers, three empty handlers and 125 reefer plugs.
The terminal is powered by an in-house power station and run by the latest IT systems from Navis Terminal Operating System and SAP, making it possible for it to handle all types of cargo.
Responding to the development, Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mohammed Bello-Koko, who was represented by the Port Manager, said, “This is a confirmation of the capacity and readiness of Eastern Ports for vessel traffic. This also shows that our investments in channel navigability and security are yielding results. We will sustain our advocacy for the patronage of the Eastern Ports.”
“The Port accounts for over 65% of the export cargo through the Nigerian Sea Port. There are multiple operations that are carried out in the Port in addition to the Oil and Gas operations. Some of such multiple operations are General Cargoes, Bulk Cargoes (Dry & Wet), Oil Well Equipment, Containerized Cargoes and other Logistics Services provided to companies that are customers and tenants. Hence the Port is a multi-purpose Cargo Port.
“The Port is highly industrialized with modern facilities and equipment that can stand the test of time. There is also adequate land available for development to all customers and prospective investors who desire to partner with the Port in the Maritime Business. The Port covers an area of 2,538.115 hectares.
“0nne Port has one of the biggest harbour mobile cranes in Africa (Liebherr 600) with a lifting capacity of 208 metric tons and 220 Gmk5220 grove twin cranes that has capacity of lifting single heavy cargo of 300 tons owned by one of the Terminal Operators in the Port. Also, safe and comfortable hospitality facilities are available for Oil & Gas clientele at the Free Zone / Port Area”.
Coming after berthing earlier of the vessel “Maersk Stadelhorn” also measuring 300 Meters LOA and “MV Lady Jane” with 295 Meters LOA, this development shows Onne Port is poised to sustain its growing fortunes.
