Port traffic set to increase as firm promises more voyages

The port of Mombasa has received a shot in the arm from Evergreen Marine PTE, the world’s fourth largest container shipping company, after it announced plans to increase its voyages to the terminal.

Evergreen Marine President Adam Lee Ming-Che said the company would send more ships to the port, the eastern gateway to landlocked African countries.

“We prefer Mombasa as our port of choice in the region due to its efficient services,” said Mr Lee in a statement announcing that its liners would dock at the port twice a week. Previously, it used to dock once a week.

The shipping line is casting its net wider following a dip in global trade caused by the euro crisis.

It will join its rivals Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company and CMA-CGM, the three major lines with higher frequency of visits to the facility.

Container traffic at the Mombasa port grew by an impressive 20 per cent between January and June this year at a time when international maritime trade has taken a beating as the world slowly recovers from recession.

KPA says between January and June, the port reported traffic of 10.7 million tonnes, which is 15 per cent growth compared to the same period last year.

Container traffic increased by 23.9 per cent, equivalent to 458,156 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), compared to 369,667 such units during the first half of last year.

“KPA was not affected by the recent recession which affected most of the world ports,” says KPA Managing Director Gichira Ndua.

Port users say capacity constraints still inhibit full performance, though this is expected to improve with ongoing modernisation of cargo-handling equipment and construction of berth 19 for higher turn-around for cargo.

This week, also, a Sh337 million consignment of rail bars and sleepers for repair of 70km of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway line is expected to revitalise railway operations and improve cargo uptake and general operations at the port through reduction of transit and cycle times of cargo haulers.

This will come in handy when the peak imports season kicks in September, when importers are expected to take advantage of the new tax regime for the 2012/13 fiscal year.

Gilbert Lang’at, chief executive of the Kenya Shippers Council, the umbrella body of large cargo importers, is hopeful that more will be done to facilitate cargo movement at the port.

“Refurbishing of wagons is not enough. We need more equipment for the rail container terminal equipment to improve haulage of rail-bound cargo,” said Mr Lang’at.

Port data show that 1,488 TEUs were delivered by rail compared to 1,681 TEUs in 2011 representing an 11 per cent decrease.

The total number of full containers delivered last month by road increased by 41 per cent to 39,378 TEUs, due to the recent opening of three additional lanes.