The East London Multi-Purpose Terminal achieved a historical milestone this week with the arrival of transhipment vessels Höegh Jeddah and Höegh London.
The vessel calls on Wednesday mark the terminal’s first transhipments in 13 years, according to Transnet.
Höegh Jeddah and Höegh London each handled a consignment of 1 183 fully built units (FBUs), including BMW and Nissan vehicles. Additionally, they handled 39 FBUs of direct exports, totalling 2 405 FBUs combined.
This comes after East London N-Berth’s recent upgrade, which involved deepening and reinforcing the berth to a uniform depth of 10.5 metres. The upgrade – completed in April at a cost of R60m – allows for the simultaneous docking of two new-generation pure car carriers of 200 metres each in length.
“This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to regional economic growth and to positioning East London as a pivotal player in the maritime and automotive logistics landscape,” Transnet managing executive for the Eastern Cape, Wandisa Vazi, said.
“It sets the stage for new volumes, diversified lines of business, and excellence in service delivery.”
Transnet said the terminal was embracing innovation and efficiency in pursuit of sustained relevance and growth in the highly competitive transhipment and automotive markets.
Höegh Jeddah and Höegh London departed the terminal on Thursday.
