APM Terminals Suape welcomes first commercial vessel

APM Terminals Suape has started commercial operations in Pernambuco, Brazil, following the arrival of its first vessel. The Maersk Ganges made the first commercial call at the new facility. The vessel operates on the ALCT2 coastal service. The milestone follows Maersk’s earlier announcement that it would begin using the new Suape facility through Aliança services. Maersk begins operations at new APM Terminals Suape facility More than BRL 2 billion has been invested in the terminal. APM Terminals describes it as the first fully electrified container terminal in Latin America. Maersk Ganges makes first commercial call The ALCT2 service connects Suape with Pecém, Salvador, Santos, Itapoá, Rio Grande and Imbituba. According to APM Terminals, the service will call at the new terminal twice a week. The first vessel call marks the effective start of commercial activities after the terminal’s development and testing phase. “This first commercial operation marks the effective start of terminal activities following an extensive development, testing and readiness phase,” said Herllon Rossato Rossdeutscher, Head of Operations at APM Terminals Suape. Suape gains 400,000 TEUs of capacity In its first phase, the terminal will have annual capacity of up to 400,000 TEUs. APM Terminals said the facility will increase container handling capacity at the wider Suape Port Complex by 55%. The terminal was also designed to accommodate large vessels. Its operations are fully electrified and include storage and logistics services. Daniel Rose, Managing Director of APM Terminals Suape and Pecém, said the additional capacity will support new trade flows in Northeast Brazil. “The terminal will support new trade flows and further strengthen the port’s position as a key logistics gateway in the country,” he said. Project targets wider economic benefits APM Terminals also highlighted the potential economic impact of the project. A study by A&M Infra, Navarro Prado Advogados and APM Terminals estimates that the development could contribute up to BRL 4.8 billion in exports. The study also estimates a potential BRL 4.9 billion contribution to Brazil’s GDP. In addition, the project could support more than 43,000 direct and indirect jobs across industries linked to international trade. APM Terminals expects the new capacity to strengthen Suape’s role in Brazil’s logistics network and support growing demand in the country’s Northeast region. The post APM Terminals Suape welcomes first commercial vessel appeared first on Container News.