Israel Ports Company News

The 13,092 TEU containership Maersk Elba arrived at Haifa Port's Carmel Terminal, becoming the largest ship ever to dock in Israel. Maersk Elba entered the Carmel Terminal Thursday, and was operated on by four STS cranes with an average productivity of 136 containers per ship hour. This ship is part of the weekly service line operated by the 2M Alliance of Maersk and MSC linking the ports of South Korea, China and Singapore to Haifa Port, and from there continues to the Adriatic ports. A video of Maersk Elba entering Haifa Port is available here.

Israel said on Monday it has selected a subsidiary of China Harbour Engineering Company to build a $950 million (3.3 billion shekel) port in southern Ashdod on Israel's Mediterranean coast. Under the terms of the tender, the company, Pan-Mediterranean Engineering Ltd., will build new docks, warehouses and jetties, extending deep-water berthing capacities at the site, the Israel Ports Company said in a statement. Israel also plans a second port further north in the city of Haifa but has not yet awarded the contract to build it. Nearly all of Israel's trade is handled via sea, and the government hopes the two new ports will turn it into a shipping hub for the eastern Mediterranean. (Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Susan Fenton)