Ocean Carrier Service: Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert: New Marine Carrier Extends Port’s Reach in Transpacific Trade
The Prince Rupert Port Authority on October 8 welcomed the 8,648-TEU capacity container ship Columbine Maersk, part of the newest marine carrier alliance to offer weekly service at the Fairview Container Terminal.
The 2M Alliance of Mediterranean Shipping Company and Maersk added Prince Rupert as the first North American port of call to its amended TP8 transpacific service. The service made its first call in Prince Rupert seven days earlier, when the 8,400-TEUMSC Rania berthed at Fairview Terminal.
"The addition of the 2M Alliance as a dedicated marine carrier service is another milestone in the unprecedented growth we’ve achieved at Fairview Container Terminal since it began operation in 2007," said Port Authority President Don Krusel. "This new service is a validation of the advantages our port has brought to transpacific trade, and we look forward to building relationships with MSC and Maersk – and the many new customers that will benefit from the supply chain solution offered through our gateway."
In seven years of operation, traffic has skyrocketed through the Fairview Container Terminal, from 16,703 TEUs in 2007 to a record 618,170 in 2014. Volume for 2015 through August was up 28.6 percent from a year ago.
Fairview Container Terminal has a current capacity of 850,000 TEUs annually, and a recently-announced second phase expansion that will bring capacity to 1.35 million TEUs. The ongoing expansion project is expected to be finished by mid-2017.
Columbine Maersk, one of the vessels deployed in the 2M Alliance’s TP8 transpacific service that has begun weekly calls to Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container Terminal.
Photo/Prince Rupert Port Authority