New Productivity Record for Apapa Container Terminal
Progress at Apapa a Model for Future APM Terminals African Activities
Press Release: Thursday, June 18, 2009
Apapa, Nigeria 16 June, 2009 – Success at Apapa Container Terminal, now in its third year under APM Terminals management, will lead the way to future growth in the underserved African sub-Saharan region. This week, Apapa Container Terminal personnel performed 2,249 moves in 47.3 hours working the 2,890 TEU MAERSK PEMBROKE, setting a new terminal record of 47.26 Moves per Hour (MPH). The MAERSK PEMBROKE was the 14th consecutive vessel to have been worked at the Nigerian facility with productivity exceeding 30 MPHs, and the third vessel over the past two weeks in which productivity has surpassed 40 MPHs.
“Less than one year ago a vessel this size would have taken six days to complete” noted APM Terminals Apapa Operations Director, Doug Smith.
During the 1st Quarter of the year despite operating with only three berths, with the fourth undergoing dredging, the terminal was able to clear the anchorage queue which had risen to as many as 20 vessels. Enhanced performance standards and execution have enabled Apapa to handle the same volume with three berths as had been achieved with four berths the same period the year prior.
Additional new equipment has been added including 34 new trucks and four Rubber Tire Gantry cranes (RTGs) to be integrated into the Apapa Terminal Operations to further enhance productivity and capacity. Apapa Container Terminal’s throughput grew from 409,751 TEUs in 2007 to 542,379 TEUs in 2008. APM Terminals has invested over $100 million in improvements since assuming control of the facility three years ago, and capacity has tripled to 600,000 TEUS.
Following privatization of the port in 2006, APM Terminals Apapa Ltd. assumed operational control of the facility and began investing in equipment, facility upgrades and training of local personnel. Apapa Container Terminal, which currently employs over 800 Nigerians, was formally commissioned a year ago on June 19th, 2008 by the President of Nigeria, His Excellency Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. The addition of four Panamax STS cranes in May of last year brought 1 the total number of cranes at the terminal to six, not including two mobile harbor cranes. A total of eight new RTGs will be in service by the end of this year. Currently underway are $61 million in civil works improvements such as yard resurfacing and quay strengthening to further boost in efficiency and capacity, and will increase the yard area by 35%.
APM Terminals, which has a very strong presence in West Africa including a second Nigerian facility at the Port of Onne, in the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone and terminals in Douala, Cameroon, Tema, Ghana, and Abidjan, in the Ivory Coast is seeking to expand operations in the emerging African market, and has expressed interest in a proposed 1 million TEU capacity terminal development project at the Nigerian Port of Lekki in the Lagos Free Trade Zone. ''Nigeria is clearly a large market that will need more port facilities in the future, especially when the Nigerian economy is going to grow substantially”, noted Martin Dirks, Managing Director, of APM Terminals Apapa in Apapa, Nigeria. APM Terminals recently announced its participation in the Pointe Noire port development project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
About APM Terminals
APM Terminals, with over USD 3 billion in revenues and over 60 customers in the containership industry, is one of the world’s leading providers of container port operations in 34 countries. Leveraging years of shipping experience and the strength of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, APM Terminals provides the port capacity and high productivity operations necessary to serve the constantly changing needs of the international trade sector.
With world headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands and a Global Terminal Network of 50 ports, including 26 port projects. APM Terminals’ goal is to become the port industry’s leading operator.
The company invested USD 723 million in new ports and port projects, complementing 2007's investments of USD 850 million.
For more information please visit www.apmterminals.com
APM Terminals