Maersk Namibia celebrates 15 years

One of the pioneers in moving freight through the port of Walvis Bay, Maersk Line Namibia, last month celebrated its 15th birthday. When the first Maersk vessel – the Cornelia Maersk – called in Walvis Bay in 1997, the port was serving the needs of the fishing industry. Maersk Line recognised the potential in Namport as a container and hub port, and approximately R150 million has been invested year to date to develop the hub, says Maersk Namibia managing director Dries Oberholzer. The Cornelia Maersk’s nominal capacity was 1 700 TEU, and with a maximum draft of 9.5 metres. Fourteen years later, June 22, 2011, the first WAFMAX vessel called Walvis Bay, this time with a draught of 14.5 metres and a nominal capacity of 4 500 TEUs – the largest ever vessel type to call West Africa with Walvis Bay as the first port of call. “Namport was formed in 1994, but Maersk was first to see the possibilities in the port for containerised cargo,” said Bisey Uirab, chief executive officer of Namport. “Today Maersk is our biggest client, more so with the transhipment business,” added Uirab. Maersk has created the opportunity for Namport to provide transhipment links for land-locked neighbouring countries, and has opened up trade with the Far East through direct calls on Walvis Bay from the East. “Fifteen years in the bigger scheme of things is not a long time, but if one reflects on what has been achieved in this time frame in the Namibian and Walvis Bay context, it becomes quite significant,” said Oberholzer. Transhipment traffic through Walvis Bay has grown from four thousand a year in 2004, to 70 000 in 2012.