In a landmark second for Jamaica’s maritime business, the Höegh Aurora, the world’s largest pure automobile and truck service (PCTC), made its maiden voyage to the Western Hemisphere, deciding on Kingston as its first port of name on Sunday, February 23.
This state-of-the-art vessel, powered by liquefied pure fuel (LNG), represents the newest in environmentally pleasant transport and boasts a capability of over 9,100 automobiles.
The arrival of the Höegh Aurora not solely marks a milestone for world transport but in addition underscores Kingston’s rising significance as a regional logistics hub, based on Mark Williams, CEO of Kingston Wharves Restricted (KWL).
“That is phenomenal information,” Williams mentioned. “Kingston Jamaica being chosen as the primary cease on this area speaks volumes about our place as an rising chief in world logistics. We’re extremely proud to host this vessel and sit up for additional strengthening our place on the world stage.”
Kingston Wharves Chairman Jeffrey Corridor (third from left) and CEO Mark Williams (left) current a commemorative plaque to Ship Captain Victor C. Escamilla. Additionally sharing within the second are Shara-Kay Kinlocke (COO), Richard Kinlocke (CEO), and Beverley Kinlocke (chairman).
Williams famous that that is the primary vessel of its type to go to the Caribbean, additional reinforcing the 15-year partnership between KWL and Höegh Aurora.
“We now have change into their transshipment hub for the area, and final 12 months alone, we moved over 170,000 items by our facility,” Williams added.
To accommodate ships of this magnitude, KWL has made vital infrastructure investments.
“We now have undertaken main infrastructural developments to make sure our port stays essentially the most superior within the area. The berth the place this vessel is at present docked was refurbished final 12 months at a price of $30 million, and we’re seeing the fruits of that funding right this moment,” Williams acknowledged.
Past infrastructure, KWL has additionally invested in cutting-edge logistics know-how to handle the excessive quantity of automobiles effectively.
“To deal with 170,000 vehicles successfully, you want superior monitoring techniques. We now have applied state-of-the-art know-how to make sure seamless monitoring and processing of automobiles, optimizing effectivity at each stage,” Williams defined.
Concurrently, plans are already in movement for additional enlargement, together with a $25 million chilly storage and dry storage facility set to start development inside the subsequent month.
Moreover, recognising the growing demand for car storage, the corporate has dedicated $15 million to the development of a multi-level automobile park able to holding roughly 2,000 automobiles.
“We’re forward of the sport; The captain of the Höegh Aurora requested extra storage, and we’re already making it occur,” he famous.
The Höegh Aurora’s journey to Kingston is especially notable given its itinerary. The vessel was constructed in August of final 12 months, starting its journey in Australia earlier than travelling to Tokyo, Japan. Its determination to name at Kingston earlier than every other port within the hemisphere is a exceptional achievement for Jamaica.
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