MOL sets up tonnage centre to manage cargo planning

Ray Smuts AN INDEPENDENT 'tonnage centre' designed to facilitate more effective cargo planning will come into operation at Mitsui O.S.K.Lines' head office in Cape Town on April 1. The six-member team will be headed by master mariner Captain Michael Valcic who is relocating from West Africa to take charge of training. MOL's m.d. Dave Giraudeau says a combined tonnage centre served members of the Safari service - due to disband next month - "but this is unique to MOL RSA." Implementation of the tonnage centre could not come at a better time as MOL is due to launch its new service to South America on April 1. "South Africa is not a huge export market to South America, probably around 10 000 TEUs per annum, but we expect growth." As to the tonnage centre's benefits for customers, Giraudeau says: "As far as planning is concerned our staff will be on the spot so we can come up with immediate answers with regard to space availability and planning of vessels."