By Bon Peters
ONNE/Nigeria: Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT) in Rivers State has once again made history by receiving the KOTA CEMPAKA, the largest container ship ever to fully operate at Nigeria’s eastern ports. This marks the ship’s second visit to the terminal in just three months.
Owned by Pacific International Lines (PIL), the KOTA CEMPAKA is an impressive 300 meters long with a capacity to carry 6,600 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of containers. The vessel first visited Onne Port on April 27, 2024, where it successfully loaded and discharged over 2,000 containers filled with Nigerian imports and exports.
The ship was welcomed back for its historic second voyage on Monday, August 5, 2024, by officials from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Onne Multipurpose Terminal.
“The arrival of such large vessels is part of a global trend where shipping lines are upscaling vessel sizes to achieve economies of scale and reduce transport costs for importers and exporters,” said Jim Stewart, Chief Operating Officer of OMT Onne.
Stewart expressed his gratitude to the NPA for their crucial role in ensuring the vessel could berth successfully. He highlighted the significance of the ship’s visit in supporting the Federal Government’s efforts to diversify Nigeria’s economic base by boosting non-oil exports and generating additional revenue for the government.
“We are excited that this very large container ship has returned for the second time in three months. This is a mark of confidence in Nigeria, in the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and in the professionalism of Onne Multipurpose Terminal,” Stewart said.
“We are proud of this milestone. We started operations only three years ago, and we are happy to contribute to reducing vessel waiting times at Onne Port while doubling container capacity and enhancing competition to benefit all customers.”
Stewart also praised the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, and the Port Manager of Onne Port Complex for their efforts in making the port channels navigable and equipping the NPA harbors department to handle such large ships. He added that OMT is investing in new equipment, including modern cranes, to accommodate even larger vessels and has acquired additional trucks and land for expansion.
At the brief reception for the container ship, Hussein Abdulrahmon, the Port Manager of Onne Port, who represented the Managing Director of NPA, noted that the KOTA CEMPAKA brought in more cargo on its second voyage than it did during its first call. He commended OMT and other stakeholders for the successful berthing, discharging, and loading of the vessel.
Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT) is the first terminal of call at the Onne Port Complex, located in Onne’s Oil and Gas Free Zone. The terminal handles containerized cargo, oil and gas, and other cargo types, serving as an efficient gateway to Africa’s largest oil production region and Nigeria’s major hinterland markets.
The sprawling Onne Port Complex, one of the world’s largest Oil and Gas Free Zones, robustly supports both onshore and offshore activities while providing efficient access to oil fields in West Africa and the Sub-Saharan region.
