Peter T. Leach | Mar 13, 2009 3:02PM EDT
Delmas, the CMA CGM Group subsidiary that specializes in the African trade, has started calling at the West Africa Container Terminal in Onne, Nigeria, APM Terminals said today.
Delmas has deployed a dedicated feeder, Delmas Anemone, which will operate between Abidjan and the WACT on a regular basis as part of the feeder service that connects Abidjan to Bata and Malabo.
The new call at WACT will connect the fast-growing eastern Nigerian markets with several CMA CGM services from other continents that have a weekly call at Abidjan, where their volumes are discharged and transshipped via feeder services bound for the western coast of Africa.
The local container market served by WACT is estimated to be 150,000 TEUs, of which 80,000 TEUs moves through other ports. WACT is a joint venture, operated by APM Terminals. WACT is located along the Bonny River near Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria.
It is located in the Onne Oil & Gas Free Zone which was established in 1996 to serve the Nigerian oil and gas industry as well as other commercial enterprises. Onne Port is also the largest oil support port in the Southern hemisphere serving the lucrative Nigerian oil industry.
APM Terminals said improved service delivery and proximity to important markets such as the cities of Aba, Nnewi and Onitscha and the greater Port Harcourt region have helped WACT increase its market share over the past few years.
WACT handled 72,000 TEUs in 2008 which was a 34 percent increase over the previous year. With the Delmas/CMA CGM service, WACT expects to see further improvement in its market share.
Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com.