North Carolina Ports welcomes first 12,000 TEU vessel
North Carolina Ports made history Monday by welcoming its first-ever 12,000 TEU vessel to the Port of Wilmington, the company said in its release. The ship, Kota Pekarang, is the largest capacity-wise to call the port. The Kota Pekarang is operated by ZIM in partnership with the 2M Alliance which links Asia to Wilmington.
The ship’s visit to Wilmington comes on the heels of the arrival of North Carolina Ports’ third neo-Panamax crane. The third crane arrived in early April as part of the organization’s $200 million capital improvements plan aimed at expanding the Port of Wilmington’s infrastructure to accommodate a 14,000 TEU vessel – the largest ships currently calling the United States East Coast.
NC Ports’ infrastructure improvements plan includes a wider turning basin, berth enhancements, new neo-Panamax cranes and an overhaul of Wilmington’s container terminal. The terminal renovations will double the port’s annual throughput capacity to 1.2 million TEUs and triple its refrigerated container capacity to 1,000 plugs.
About North Carolina Ports
North Carolina’s ports in Wilmington and Morehead City, plus an inland terminal in Charlotte, link the state’s consumers, businesses and industry to world markets, and serve as magnets to attract new business and industry to the State of North Carolina. Port activities contribute statewide to more than 87,700 jobs and $678 million each year in state and local tax revenues.
