The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) has set a new port record with the arrival of the vessel ONE STORK, the largest container ship to ever call Jacksonville.
Operated by shipping line Ocean Network Express (ONE) within THE Alliance network of ocean carriers, the ONE STORK has a carrying capacity of 14,000 TEU.
Previously, the largest ships to call JAXPORT had a capacity of 11,923 TEU.
ONE STORK is the first of nine larger vessels that will call JAXPORT weekly through the EC5 container service operated by THE Alliance.
The EC5 port rotation is as follows:
Laem Chabang (Thailand) – Cai Mep (Vietnam) – Singapore – Colombo (Sri Lanka) – Suez Canal – Halifax (Canada) – New York – Savannah – Jacksonville – Norfolk – Halifax.
Effective from May 2023, THE Alliance has upsized the vessels used in the service, replacing smaller ships with six larger 14,000 TEU and three larger 13,000 TEU vessels.
The upgraded vessel sizes average a 60 per cent increase in container carrying capacity over the previous ships in the service.
Cargo activity through Jacksonville’s seaport supports 138,000 jobs in Florida and $31 billion in annual economic impact for the region and state.
READ: MSC’s Europe-US service begins calling JAXPORT
“Today’s arrival of the ONE STORK represents yet another milestone for our port and community,” said JAXPORT CEO, Eric Green.
“Harbour deepening and the other investments that have been made in our port provide the capability for these larger vessels to call Jacksonville, supporting jobs and economic impact throughout our region and state.
“We are grateful for the partnership we have with our THE Alliance partners and look forward to their continued growth and success in Jacksonville,” Green added.