The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Direct shipping service to Europe launched

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 04, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Direct shipping service to Europe launched

Staff Reporter

Main line will ensure shipments `reach destinations quicker'

NEW SERVICE: A new direct container service to Europe from Chennai by CMA-CGM commenced on Thursday with the call of CMA CGM Copernic at the Chennai container terminal. — Photo: S. S.Kumar

CHENNAI : A direct container shipping service of CMA-CGM from Chennai to the Mediterranean, UK and Europe commenced on Thursday.

The first vessel, CMA CGM Copernic, under the NEMO (New Europe Mascareigne Oceania) service called at the Chennai container terminal on Thursday evening. Its last port of call was Port Kelang; the next will be Colombo.

Chennai Container Terminal Limited (CCTL) chief executive officer Ennarasu Karunesan said the direct service to Europe was further proof that the privatised terminal of the Chennai Port Trust had become truly global. "In the near future, Chennai Port is set to become a trans-shipment hub for Kolkata, Haldia and Bangladesh ports," he added.

Representatives of CMA CGM pointed out that the main line service would ensure that shipments reach destinations in Europe much quicker. Earlier, shipments had to be trans-shipped to destinations such as Singapore and Colombo and transferred to main lines to Europe.

The NEMO service is to be operated with 13 vessels of 2,800 TEUs capacity each. Initially the service will be fortnightly; it will be upgraded to a weekly service from July. The port rotation for NEMO are: Tilbury, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Le Havre, Fos, La Spezia, Damietta, Suez Canal, Djibouti, Pointe des Galets, Port Louis, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Lyttelton, Melbourne, Adelaide, Jakarta, Port Kelang, Chennai, Colombo, Djibouti, Jeddah, Suez Canal, Damietta, Malta, La Spezia and Tibury. The round voyage lasts 91 days.

Chennai Port Trust Deputy Chairman G.J. Rao, CMA CGM E&S India Private Limited CEO Nitin Puri and senior port officials met CMA CGM Copernic captain Raido T. Raamat on board the vessel and offered felicitations.

Sometime ago, Maersk Line had launched a direct service from Chennai to the U.S. East Coast.

Chennai container terminal executives said the terminal had been able to consistently achieve 30 moves an hour and had enhanced its reputation as a port of international standard.

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