Start of the international container distribution centre announced the port of Klaipėda
The 324.8 meter-long container ship “MSC Charleston”, which arrived to the port of Klaipėda, has entered the history of the seaport of Klaipėda as the longest ship ever sailed to Klaipėda and marked the official start of the operation of the distribution centre (hub), says the press center of the port of Klaipėda.
“So far, the port of Klaipėda had only been importing and exporting cargoes in containers, but had no a cargo distribution centre. From now on, containers will be brought to the port of Klaipėda by ocean-going vessels-container ships with the capacity up to 12 000 TEU and carried to other ports by major vessels, therefore large vessels from other continents will avoid stopovers in other European ports. Due to this, the port of Klaipėda will become more attractive and competitive.” said the Director General of the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority Mr Arvydas Vaitkus.
The foundations for the hub project were laid in 2011; the project was implemented in cooperation between the public and private sectors. The Klaipėda State Seaport Authority, seeking to contribute to the smooth development of the container distribution centre, invested in the port infrastructure exploited by “Klaipėdos Smeltė” 56.8 mln Eur by 2014 and intends to additionally invest 25.26 mln Eur (3.82 mln Eur in the construction of two-level crossing (a bridge) to “Klaipėdos Smeltė” and 21,43 mln Eur to the preparation of the construction technical project of the embankments No. 97-100 and the works of construction and dredging near the embankments to the depth of 16.5m).
“In Lithuania, a project of this kind, carried out with the use of most advanced global engineering expertise, has been implemented for the first time in the history of the port. We are glad that the mobilization of all forces led to the fact that now the port has a modern and unique container distribution centre with cutting-edge technology, spacious storage sites and new berths with required depths next to them. The implemented project provides conditions to increase the competitiveness of Lithuanian and port’s business in the international context, attract new cargo flows directly from other continents bypassing European ports and has created new jobs for high-skilled specialists.” said the Director General of “Klaipėdos Smeltė” Mr Rimantas Juška.
According to Mr Rimantas Juška, in 2014, the number of re-loaded sea containers in the renovated terminal increased by 33% - from 132.000 TEU to 176.000 TEU and exceeded the growth of the total container handling in the Klaipėda port by 2.7 times. The total amount of cargoes in containers reached 2.635.783 tons.
The first step to establish an international container distribution centre at the port of Klaipėda was made in 2008, when the control package of shares of “Klaipėdos Smeltė” was acquired by the international container terminal operator “Terminal Investment Limited” (TIL). This company owns under the principle of holding about 30 terminals in different continents. TIL closely cooperates with one of the world’s largest container shipping companies “Mediterranean Shipping Company” (MSC) and invests in the development of terminals at the ports which MSC intends to direct the flows of containerized cargoes to.
