Some of the containers are destined for trans-shipment to Alexandria.  “Next week, an even larger ship with many more containers will dock at Haifa”, promised the CEO of MSC Israel, Mr. Edani Simkin.

There were many concerns the day before the arrival of the MSC MAEVA (TEU 8040) at Haifa Port.  The weather forecast was for a severe storm in the area and so a special effort was made to successfully bring the vessel several hours before schedule thanks to a quick passage through the Suez Canal.
Although the deepening of the port’s entry canal was only completed last week and vessels with a draught of 14.5 meters had yet to use the canal.  Haifa Port and the new Carmel Terminal were ready and prepared for the vessel and six new Ship to Shore Cranes (SPP) were waiting in the early hours of Friday morning (the 9th of November).

The events of the following few hours will do down in Haifa Port’s history when, in just a few hours, 1600 containers were loaded and unloaded from the vessel at a rate of 191 containers per hour!  Even senior global MSC executives, who came especially for the event, including Caroline Becquart, MSC’s Far East trade director, were very surprised by the speed of work.  Just a few hours later, at 15:30 in the afternoon, the MSC MAEVA had already begun its 11 day voyage to New York.  This too, is an innovation for Israel trade – never before has New York been so close to Israel…

There can be no doubt that the opening of a major shipping line such as the GOLDEN GATE SERVICE to Israel, run by the huge MSC Shipping company, has made Haifa Port an important port on the map of world maritime shipping.  MSC Israel successfully met its initial target for the route on its first voyage, with 1200 containers for import or transshipment (to Alexandria) and some 400 containers for export.
So now, the time is ripe for even higher targets: On this coming Friday, a new record will be set with the arrival of the MSC ARICA (TEU 8900) which will be largest ever to have visited Israel.  She will be carrying more containers for loading, unloading and transshipment to Adriatic Sea ports.  In just another two weeks visits will begin from the West with imports from the United States and exports to the Far East as well as vessels with a 9200 TEU

capacity.  The fact that the GGS route in its new configuration with double visits to Haifa, both from the West and then back from the Far East (Thursdays to the Far East and Fridays to the West) gives MSC great hopes for the route.

“The GGS is a worldwide route and its arrival in Israel is evidence of a strong belief in Israel’s economy and the ability of Haifa Port to become a transshipment hub”, said CEO of MSC Israel, Mr. Edani Simkin on Friday.  “This is a strategic choice which will push the port’s activities forward to impressive new heights which will also benefit Israel’s economy.  The route connects Haifa port, through the use of feeder vessels, to other Mediterranean ports, including those of Egypt and Turkey, and the Adriatic and Black Seas.   As a result, the sailing time to the United States that used to be almost 20 days, has been shortened to 11 days.  The route opens new markets for Israel’s importers and exporters, including agriculture products to US east coast.  Over the past three years, we have trebled the amount of cargo to Israel.  Imagine what the future now holds in store”.

CEO of Haifa Port, Mendy Zaltzman: “The extraordinary abilities of MSC, which have facilitated the operation of the route, meet and combine with Haifa Port which is both highly professional and constantly seeking to grow.  We have been preparing for this revolution over the past few years:  we built a new advanced, deep water terminal and installed the best equipment in the world, alongside the excellent N4 TOS system provided by NAVIS.  We have also recently purchased a new tug; the largest in Israel, with a bollard pull of 70 tons.  Additionally, the port’s employee’s total and deep commitment has, once again, proved today what they are capable of achieving.  191 containers per ship hour are just the first example of our capabilities.  We are ready for even more challenges”.

Caroline Becquart, MSC’s Far East trade director said that over the past two years she had participated in many meetings and discussions with the port’s management in preparation for the routes operation.  “The employee’s professionalism and their rate of work are those that are expected and the norm at the world’s largest ports such as Singapore and Shanghai.  Well done to them all!” said Becquart.

The Golden Gate Service’s schedule will include the following ports: Ningbo – Shanghai – Chiwan – Yantian – Singapore – Haifa – New York – Norfolk – Baltimore – Savannah – Charleston – Freeport – Norfolk – Haifa – Colombo – Singapore – Chiwan – Hong Kong – Ningbo.

They allow individual twin handling of a twenty foot container at either end of the spreader and incorporate the Liebherr drive and control system as well as facilitating remote access to the crane management system and operational statistics.

These straddle carriers are due for delivery in the first quarter of 2013. The Port already operates five (5) Liebherr Ship to shore cranes with two (2) more Liebherr super post panamax cranes due at the port in 2013 and 2014.

 Liebherr Container Cranes, Mobile Product Manager, Paul Bolger said

“The Port of Tauranga has operated Liebherr cranes since the 70’s and they are well aware of the performance and reliability associated with our products. It is a pleasure to supply Liebherr straddle carriers to help bring increased capacity and productivity in view of the recent surge in the port’s handling volumes”.

Vosta LMG’s business is complementary to the Group’s current business segments of shipbuilding, ship repair and conversion and ship chartering. Apart from synergies to be derived on many aspects of the operations and increasing the scope of services to include design and engineering, the Group is also able to strengthen their geographical presence by tapping on VOSTA LMG’s existing customer base through their offices in the Netherlands, Germany, UAE, India, Singapore, China and the USA. It is the Group’s strategy to maintain independent and normal business operations at VostaLMG post acquisition. Vosta LMG does not own shipyards or fabrication plants. Therefore, it works with various shipyards and fabrication plants on its turnkey projects. However, the acquisition will not result in all VOSTA LMG’s projects to be undertaken at the Group’s shipyards. The selection of the yard will be dependent of price, quality, and client preference.

VOSTA LMG CEO and Shareholder Mr. R. Dietze and ASL Marine Group Managing Director Mr KT Ang entered into a contract for takeover of 100% of the shares by Leo Dynamische Investering BV, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of ASL Marine Group. The takeover follows on many successful years of cooperation between VOSTA LMG and ASL Marine Group, which explains the interest of ASL Marine Group in VOSTA LMG’s unique business model. With 140 years of experience the same business model is also the main reason for the

Managing Director of ASL Marine Group to explicitly state the intention of a going concern of business of VOSTA LMG Group and CFT International GmbH.

In the following period VOSTA LMG and ASL Marine Group will take further important steps in finalizing the takeover process and will make an effort to inform its relations about the ongoing process accordingly.

  This brings AHI’s ownership in HIPS to 162,500,000 shares, which now constitute a controlling 65 precent of the outstanding capital stock of HIPS.

HIPS owns the Hijo International Port, a private commercial port in Barangay Madaum, Tagum, Davao del Norte in the Gulf of Davao.  The existing port sits within a reclaimed land of about 10.3 hectares.  It has two berths:   127m long and 150m long.  It has two cargo sheds located in the wharf area and various terminal support facilities.  It currently handles approximately 300,000 metric tons (mt) of mostly banana volumes annually. 

HIPS, under the management of ICTSI, will now develop and upgrade the facilities and capacity of the port to handle containerized cargo, especially banana in refrigerated containers.     

ICTSI is a leading port management company involved in the operations and development of 28 marine terminals and port projects in 19 countries worldwide.  The company was among the first international terminal operators to take its expertise overseas. 

HRC is a diversified group involved in leisure and tourism, agribusiness, property development and port operations.  Established in 1959, HRC is one of the pioneers in the cultivation and exportation of Cavendish bananas to Japan.