Elizabeth Facility News

APM Terminals Port Elizabeth welcomed the 8,700 TEU capacity CMA CGM Bianca, marking the first call of the weekly Ocean Alliance US East Coast Loop 3 Service, providing direct service to the US East Coast from ports in China and Southeast Asia. After a formal welcoming ceremony held at the facility, APM Terminals Port Elizabeth hosted a reception for senior executives of Ocean Alliance member lines to commemorate the occasion. The CMA CGM Bianca arrived and departed on schedule with a berth productivity of 129.2 moves per hour (MPH) for the 4,393 container moves at the terminal, for 30.1 gross MPH, and average dwell for rail-destined containers of less than one day. Until recently, container ships calling the Port of New York & New Jersey were mainly of the 5,000-8,000 TEU size class.

As the Panama Canal’s newly operational expanded lane helps set monthly tonnage records, the project’s impacts are being felt along the U.S. East Coast. Effects of the canal’s expansion are reverberating well-beyond Panama’s shores, as ports around the world are in varying stages of work to deepen and widen their channels to accommodate the growing number of Neopanamax vessels that can now transit the canal. Now nearly one year on from the first vessel transit through the expanded waterway, many ports are benefitting, particularly those along the U.S. East Coast.

APM Terminals has significantly increased its previously announced USD $70 million investment plans for the APM Terminals Port Elizabeth facility, and now plans an investment total of USD $200 million. This figure includes ordering four next-generation Ship-To-Shore (STS) cranes to handle ultra-large container ships (ULCS) at North America’s second-busiest port complex. These vessels are expected to start calling the port right after the heightening of the Bayonne Bridge is completed later this year. The heightening of the Bayonne Bridge, combined with the widened Panama Canal allows these ULCS liner services to call and be operated efficiently at the advanced APM Terminals facility.

The Port of New York and New Jersey is the largest port on the US East Coast and third largest in the United States with 6.37 million TEU handled in 2015. In 2014, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey committed to a ten year, agency-wide capital investment campaign for transportation infrastructure. Over USD 200 billion in cargo value moves through the port that serves one of the most attractive consumer markets in the United States with a population of 20 million located within three hours of the port. APM Terminals’ Port Elizabeth facility is one of the largest container terminals in the port complex, handling over 2,100 trucks a day, 4000 terminal gate transactions and more than 500 vessel calls per year.

APM Terminals announced today that it will not pursue the proposed joint venture for the ownership and operation of APM Terminals’ Elizabeth, New Jersey facility. Eric Sisco, President of APM Terminals North America, stated: “APM Terminals and Brookfield worked closely with the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey to address the needs of each party. Despite the good faith efforts of all involved, a commercially viable solution was not achieved”. APM Terminals will continue to operate its Elizabeth facility under its long-term lease with the Port Authority. “Our Elizabeth terminal is our premier U.S. east coast facility”, commented Sisco. “We have operated in the port since the beginning of containerization and we will continue to operate here for many years to come.”

SeaLand, the newly founded intra-Americas regional carrier of the Maersk Group, announced today the appointment of its executive team which the company sais will fulfill its mission of delivering greater service stability and commitment, as well as a higher level of customer-focused service tailored to the customer’s needs. The new appointees are Alfredo Di Palma, Maria Batista, Shane Sawyer, Thiago Covre and Timothy Child, who will all be on board within the next two-three months, joining SeaLand CEO Craig Mygatt. Alfredo Di Palma will join SeaLand as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) in charge of all commercial efforts for the company.