The vessel rotation for the new service is New Orleans, Freeport, Caucedo, Buenaventura, Callao, Arica, Valparaiso, Ilo, and New Orleans.
MSC has a partnership with Ceres Terminals in a new joint venture, New Orleans Terminals, which operates half of the port’s Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, Phase 1. The joint venture also operates the Napoleon Avenue Intermodal Terminal, which opened in early December.
The Port of New Orleans recently announced a US$1 billion master plan to expand the port’s container capacity. About $238 million is earmarked for short-term expansion at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, including new cranes and a larger intermodal rail facility, and $240 million for long-term expansion. By 2020, according to the plan, the port’s capacity will increase from 366,000 TEUs to about 1.3 million TEUs.