The largest vessel ever to have docked at Sharjah-based Gulftainer’s Khorfakkan Container Terminal arrived on 2nd April on its first voyage from the Far East.
The ship, CSCL Uranus, fresh out of the Korean shipbuilding yard on the 9th March 2012, arrived at KCT at 15:00 hrs. on its maiden call, is the largest vessel ever to arrive at Khorfakkan Container Terminal and is the largest China Shipping Container Lines’ (CSCL) vessel to arrive, not only into KCT, but the biggest vessel on this string to call into the Middle East.
With an overall length of 366 meters, a breadth overall of 51 meters and a total container capacity of 14, 074 TEUs this vessel is truly one of the giants in the industry today, and the port of Khorfakkan is proud to have been chosen to be the first port of call in the Middle East.
To celebrate the arrival of this incredible vessel into KCT for the first time, Simon Sundboell, Gulftainer Commercial Manager and Gulftainer management were there to welcome the vessel, her crew and representative from CSCL and present commemorative plaques to the CSCL ship captain and representatives of China Shipping UAE, Captain Wanjun and crew; Mr, Ibrahim Sharaf, Mr. Yassin Vakil, Mr. Ji Qing, and Mr. Simon Dai.
Gulftainer MD, Peter Richards, expressed his delight at the arrival of the vessel; “We are very pleased to welcome the CSCL Uranus into Khorfakkan. This is the first journey into the Middle East for this vessel and it’s first docking at KCT; an experience that we are sure will demonstrate our efficiencies. For KCT, this marks another success in our ever-expanding client range.”
Gulftainer’s KCT was last year named ’Shipping Port of the Year’ at the Annual Supply Chain and Transport Awards (SCATA 2011) in Dubai and is widely recognised as being one of the most efficient ports in the world. The selection of CSCL Uranus to dock in KCT on its maiden call further proves KCT’s abilities as one of the world’s fastest-moving ports.
KCT boasts 1,900 metres of quay, a 16 metre draft, 20 ship-to-shore Gantry Cranes, and is able to host the largest container vessels. It is strategically located on Sharjah’s Indian Ocean coast. The convenient location outside the Strait of Hormuz and in proximity to the main east-west shipping routes, coupled with its easy access to the UAE’s busy mainland cities of Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi makes KCT the perfect choice for shipping lines.
The port was recently expanded, increasing the total number of gantry cranes to 20 and the overall storage space to 450,000 square metres. The port welcomes vessels from major shipping lines year on year and is the world’s fastest-operating container terminal.
Gulftainer Company Limited has been operating since 1976 in the UAE and operates three main ports in the Emirates: Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT), and Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT), both on behalf of the Sharjah Port Authority, and terminal operations on behalf international plastics solutions company, Borouge, in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi.
