Maersk Sealand – improved service to Israel

Maersk Israel Ltd. announced last week that the company will upgrade, in mid-August, its Israeli services. According to the company's announcement, all Israeli services will be fed through the new Suez Canal Container Terminal - SCCT container terminal at Port Said east.
 
Within the framework of the upgraded service the feeder vessel Marchaser will call at Haifa each Monday, beginning 15th August and the feeder vessels Sea-Pioneer and Sea-Leader will call at Ashdod each Monday beginning 8th August.
 
The two vessels Sea-Leader and Sea-Pioneer also call at Istanbul, Izmir and Emberli in Turkey.
 
Suez Canal Container Terminal is located at Port Said East at the Northern entrance to the Suez Canal. The container facility is gradually emerging as a transshipment centre for the Eastern Mediterranean. Suez Canal Container Terminal (SCCT) is a private joint venture company which has obtained the concession to build, operate, and manage this new terminal.
 
The majority (60%) shareholding of SCCT is held by APM Terminals. Various public and private interests hold the remaining shares. SCCT has a quay length of 1,200 meters and an overall area of 60 hectares. In Phase One, Twelve Super post panamax Ship to Shore Gantry cranes will be placed, together with 36 yard cranes and other handling equipment. Initial draft is 16.5 meters increasable to 17.5 meters.
 
SCCT is set to handle more than 400,000 moves in its current first operational year. Mr. Soren Henssen director general Maersk Israel Ltd. said that Maersk Sealand had embarked upon a global service upgrading policy in which the company increased its investment in ports, ships and equipment in order to provide better services.
 
Ms Galit Shapira, marketing director Maersk Israel Ltd. added that the new service will provide shippers – importers as well as exporters, with a far better service. The new upgraded service via Port Said will shorten transit time to Europe and the Far East.