21 December 2009

New Korean-Built 4255 TEU Container Vessel Named 'Zim Colombo'

21st December 2009, www.dailymirror.lk

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services (ZISS) has christened its new Korean-built 4255 TEU Container Vessel Zim Colombo and has deployed it into their East Mediterranean Express (EMX) Service, which touches Colombo on its west-bound and east-bound voyages.

ZISS offers 60 services to ports of call throughout Europe, the United States and Canada, Central and South America, Africa and Asia and it has established a particularly strong presence on routes between the Far East and the Caribbean, Mediterranean and China.

In addition, to meet the changing needs of a dynamic market, ZISS continuously expands and diversifies their geographic coverage and is currently strengthening their presence in developing regions, with a focus on the Far East, Former Soviet Union regions, South America and Africa.

According to their plans, two major ZISS services - ZIM Container Service (ZCS) and EMX - have already embarked on Super-Slow Steaming, a measure that would enable substantial fuel savings and significantly reduced CO2 and NOx emissions.

In pursuance of this endeavour, ZISS added a 4255 TEU vessel to each service, thus maintaining similar levels of service in terms of frequency and with only minor changes in transit times. Accordingly, ZCS deploys 16 vessels while EMX deploys 11 vessels in their operations.

Slow steaming is in line with ZISS's streamlining and savings efforts. ZISS is one of the first shipping companies whose owned fleet confirms to Environmental Management (ISO 14001) standards. The Super-Slow Steaming will reduce the CO2 and NOx emission drastically in these two lines and will support ZISS's persistent commitment to sustainability and environmental awareness.

A ceremony was held on board the vessel MV Zim Colombo, in celebration of her maiden voyage at the JCT of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), on her inaugural west-bound voyage on 17 December 2009.

To mark the significance of this move to the SLPA, plaques were exchanged between the Managing Director of SLPA Capt. Nihal Keppetipola and the Master of the Vessel Capt. Sergej Decenkov and the officials of Star Lanka Shipping, the local shipping agents.

Commenting on this new addition, SLPA Managing Director Capt. Nihal Keppetipola said: "We have attracted several new lines and services in recent months and this trend is a clear approbation by the liner community of the current customer-friendly marketing orientation and pragmatic policies of SLPA. This apart, our country has come to the threshold of an economic renaissance with peace dividend being invested on huge maritime-related infrastructure development projects."

"The christening of ZISS's new vessel as Zim Colombo is of great significance to Sri Lanka which fills us with pride, especially at a time when the green shoots of recovery from the global economic meltdown are appearing. This would make the Port of Colombo echo throughout the world, which is now well accepted as the regional hub port. I take this opportunity to wish ZISS and their local agent Star Lanka Shipping every success," he further said.

Image : Plaques are exchanged between the Managing Director of SLPA Capt. Nihal Keppetipola (third from right) and the Master of the Vessel Capt. Sergej Decenkov (fourth from right) while N. Ranchigoda - Director Star Lanka Shipping (fourth from left), Dillan Lawrence - Manager Star Lanka (first from right), Chief Operations Manager of SLPA G.A.Thalagala (second from right), Harbour Master of SLPA Capt. Ravi Jayawickrama (second from left), Dy. Chief Operations Manager of SLPA Jayantha Perera (third from left) and Dy. Chief Manager (Marketing and BD) of SLPA Upul Jayathissa (first from left) look on

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