The CMA CGM Group has inaugurated the biggest container vessel from Asia to West Africa in Ghana.
The vessel, named CMA CGM Africa One, has a capacity of 3,600 teus, which means it can carry 3,600 of 20 footer containers.
It is one of four of such vessels the company operates from Asia to Africa and this is the first time it arrives in Africa and Ghana is, and will always be the first port of call every week.
The ship will also be docking at Lagos, Abidjan, Cotonou and Lome.
Speaking at the launch, Commercial Manager of the CMA CGM Group in Ghana, Geoffrey Cole said the vessel has the size of two football pitches long, six floors tall and 37.30 meters wide, which makes it the largest in the world.
He said the significance of its size is that between 1975 and 2006 the largest vessel on the seas had 1,000 teus and from 2006 to 2007 the largest was 1,500 teus, but the latest before CMA CGM One was 2,500 teus.
Mr. Coles said the vessel was specially designed to operate independently and to overcome specific challenges at African ports, including shallow waters for berthing and power fluctuations.
He explained that it has four in-built gears to off-load and re-load containers in times of power outage at the port, and also has a mechanism that enables it to gather enough water around it so it can berth in shallow waters.
Mr. Cole said the size of the ship gives customers the advantage of lower freight rates, and its independent operating abilities eliminates delays in berthing and in delivering containers to customers.
“Tema will always be the first port of call and the transit time is the fastest on the continent,” he said.
General Manager of the Delmas Shipping Ghana, subsidiary of CMA CGM Group in Ghana, Mr. Hugh Curtis said the company invested hundreds of millions of dollars in building the special vessel for Africa, and that is a show of commitment to Africa.
“Many companies are getting into the shipping business in Africa, but we are the first to put such a large vessel on the sea to meet the specific challenges of Africa,” he said.
Some of the company’s customers said the transit time, freight rates and 30 days period for clearing their goods as against seven day on other vessel, are great advantages.
The vessel, named CMA CGM Africa One, has a capacity of 3,600 teus, which means it can carry 3,600 of 20 footer containers.
It is one of four of such vessels the company operates from Asia to Africa and this is the first time it arrives in Africa and Ghana is, and will always be the first port of call every week.
The ship will also be docking at Lagos, Abidjan, Cotonou and Lome.
Speaking at the launch, Commercial Manager of the CMA CGM Group in Ghana, Geoffrey Cole said the vessel has the size of two football pitches long, six floors tall and 37.30 meters wide, which makes it the largest in the world.
He said the significance of its size is that between 1975 and 2006 the largest vessel on the seas had 1,000 teus and from 2006 to 2007 the largest was 1,500 teus, but the latest before CMA CGM One was 2,500 teus.
Mr. Coles said the vessel was specially designed to operate independently and to overcome specific challenges at African ports, including shallow waters for berthing and power fluctuations.
He explained that it has four in-built gears to off-load and re-load containers in times of power outage at the port, and also has a mechanism that enables it to gather enough water around it so it can berth in shallow waters.
Mr. Cole said the size of the ship gives customers the advantage of lower freight rates, and its independent operating abilities eliminates delays in berthing and in delivering containers to customers.
“Tema will always be the first port of call and the transit time is the fastest on the continent,” he said.
General Manager of the Delmas Shipping Ghana, subsidiary of CMA CGM Group in Ghana, Mr. Hugh Curtis said the company invested hundreds of millions of dollars in building the special vessel for Africa, and that is a show of commitment to Africa.
“Many companies are getting into the shipping business in Africa, but we are the first to put such a large vessel on the sea to meet the specific challenges of Africa,” he said.
Some of the company’s customers said the transit time, freight rates and 30 days period for clearing their goods as against seven day on other vessel, are great advantages.