SINGAPORE's Neptune Orient Lines has announced the earlier-than-scheduled opening of its joint venture container terminal at the Qingdao port with the arrival of the 6,574-TEU APL Dubai on APL's west Asia express service.
This terminal is operated by Qingdao Qianwan United Container Terminal (QQCTU), a joint venture formed in May between NOL and China-based logistics company SITC.
Initially designed to handle an annual capacity of 1.5 million TEU, NOL said the terminal will primarily serve vessels operated by its container shipping unit APL and SITC.
According to a NOL statement, the terminal is equipped with sophisticated handling equipment including seven post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes and 16 rail-mounted yard gantry cranes.
"We are happy that we can commence operations earlier than planned and we thank our partners for making this possible," said APL north Asia president Kenneth Glenn. "This facility will provide great value to our customers' supply chains through improved schedule reliability, higher service levels and access to terminal capacity."
APL, NOL's container shipping arm, makes more than 200 port calls annually at Qingdao, linking the city and Shandong province, as well as its neighbouring provinces to international services.
Said Mr Glenn: "This container terminal shows that APL is here for the long run. We are committed to Qingdao's long-term growth and the development of North China's economy."
Qingdao, on the Yellow Sea coast, is China's fifth-largest container port and the largest in northern China.