The largest cargo ship to dock in Papua New Guinea's ports was recently welcomed by the International Container Terminal Services Inc.'s (ICTSI) subsidiary and Pacific Islands operator South Pacific Limited.
The 2,754 TEU-gearless vessel KOTA GABUNG, operated by Mariana Express Line Ltd., made its call in the South Pacific International Container Terminal (SPICT) at the Port of Lae (or the Lae Tidal Basin) last Nov. 12, and then in the Motukea International Terminal (MIT) at the Port of Moresby on Nov. 17.
“This milestone highlights the growing confidence in ICTSI South Pacific terminals for delivering best-in-class service. It is aligned with our recent strong investment in pursuit of our vision of making our facilities the most modern and efficient port terminals in the Pacific Islands region,” said ICTSI South Pacific CEO Robert Maxwell.
The ship is operated as part of the North Asia Express (NAX) service, pertaining to a vessel sharing agreement with Swire Shipping Line, which connects the main ports of Eastern and Southern China to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia.
“We appreciate Mariana Express Line Ltd., a subsidiary of Pacific International Lines (PIL), for the trust in us to ensure the success of this gearless vessel addition to PNG trade. We are looking forward to seeing more gearless vessels being deployed in the future,” he added.
According to ICTSI, MIT recently gained a second mobile harbor crane to increase its waterside capacity and ensure safer and faster turnaround of ships.
Meanwhile, SPICT has also added two new post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes, which are the largest port equipment in the island nation. The cranes can service up to 6,000 TEU vessels.
As of 2023, ICTSI South Pacific Limited has invested over PGK 200 million to help Papuan communities through its port operations at SPICT and MIT.