NOL Group opened its new terminal at the Port of Qingdao with the arrival of the APL Dubai. Originally expected to open in the second half of 2011, the joint venture container terminal opened for business well ahead of schedule.

"We are happy that we can commence operations earlier than planned and we thank our partners for making this possible," said Kenneth Glenn, APL president for North Asia. "This dedicated facility will provide great value to our customers' supply chains through improved schedule reliability, higher service levels and access to terminal capacity."

NOL, together with SITC International Holdings, a China-based shipping logistics company, formed a partnership with Qingdao Qianwan United Container Terminal in May 2011 to operate the terminal.

Singapore-based NOL said the terminal would primarily serve vessels operated by APL and SITC. The inaugural call at the terminal was made by the APL Dubai, a 6,574-TEU vessel on APL's West Asia Express service.

APL makes more than 200 port calls annually at Qingdao, linking the city and Shandong province, as well as its neighbouring provinces to international markets through APL's global shipping network. The terminal has an annual capacity of 1.5 million TEUs.

"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," added Glenn. Qingdao, on the Yellow Sea coast, is China's fifth-largest container port and the largest in the North.