Malta Freeport Terminals has been selected as one of the weekly ports of call for CMA CGM’s 23,000 TEU liquified natural gas (LNG) containerships after it made substantial investments in its cargo handling equipment.
Freeport CEO Alex Montebello said the company was only able to attract the mega-ship service after it announced a $24.1 million (€20 million) purchase of two megamax quay cranes.
“We are delighted to be among the few ports selected for the prestigious French Asia Line Service,” Montebello said.
“Freeport is only able to attract business of this nature because of the strategic decision we had taken to invest in six megamax quay cranes, which have the capability to stack rows 11-containers-high onto these huge ships.”
The cranes arrived on 3 February 2020 and will be assembled on site in preparation for being operational by the Summer.
Equipped with an outreach of 72m, an air draft of 54m and twin-lift spreader capability, the cranes will be capable of servicing CMA CGM’s mega-ships.
The mega-ships will include the CMA CGM Jacques Saade, which became the world’s largest LNG-powered containership when it was launched last October.
The first in a new CMA CGM fleet of more environmentally-friendly super container ships, the Jacques Saade – which had called at the Freeport during its maiden voyage in a symbolic gesture – spans the length of four football pitches and has capacity for 23,000 TEU containers.
