In a further boost to its profile, Colombo Port’s Jaya Container Terminal welcomed the biggest-ever ship, the newly-christened APL Chongqing of American President Lines, the container shipping arm of Singapore’s Neptune Orient Lines Group.
The APL Chongqing capable of carrying 10,000-Twentyfoot Equivalent Units (TEUs) is deployed in the Asia-Europe Service, SCX, calling Colombo on its westbound voyage. The 350-metre-long vessel was christened on 1 December by the NOL Group, the Singapore-based shipping and logistics giant at a ship yard in South Korea. It along with APL Gwangyang, also christened recently, is the largest in APL fleet and first of the 32 vessels the carrier will commission by 2014 to gain economies of scale, fuel efficiency and competitiveness. To symbolise the call, a plaque exchange ceremony was held onboard the ship between SLPA and APL
[mappress]
World Maritime News Staff, December 21, 2011; Image: APL