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Mombasa Port now banks on transshipment cargo business to rake in more revenue after Messina line shipping company declared it as its preferred trans-shipment hub for all its regional cargo destined to nearby ports.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing director Willian Ruto sauid this means that all cargo destined to Tanzania and other parts of Africa will be transshipped from Mombasa Port, translating to more revenue earnings.

Transshipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, then to another destination.

Messina line becomes the first company to declare Mombasa Port as a transshipment hub of its cargo.

The declaration came after the third Full container vessel for Ignazio Messina Line, Mv Jolly Giada LOA of 260 metres and 4,395 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) capacity docked at the Port of Mombasa where it discharged 2,000 TEUs of which 35 per cent will be transshipped to Tanzania.

Berth No 16

“Of the containers that are being discharged from the ship, more that 35 per cent belong to other ports, and mainly Dar es salaam,” Ruto said after issuing a certificate of first call and presentation of plaque to the ship captain.

The vessel which docked on at the Kenya Ports Authority Berth No 16 on Tuesday evening was set to depart yesterday to her next call in the Port of Durban.

Ruto said Mombasa acting as a transshipment port for Messina Line is a big boost, adding that KPA is committed to further improvement of the facility’s efficiency.

Last week, the authority received the longest-ever container ship MV Kotka. Ruto said the shipping line which is a regular caller at Mombasa Port has now changed its mode of delivery, to fully containerised cargo.

“When you see shipping lines changing their mode of delivery to fully containerised it is because of the confidence they have with the port. When you have efficiency, everyone tends to follow you,” he stated.

At the same time, Ruto also said the authority is working with other stakeholders to improve efficiency and reduce the cost of doing business with transit market customers.

“With modern ship-to-shore cranes at KPA berths 16 and 17, we shall be able to load the vessel in two days. This will significantly reduce the cost of container storage as traders will benefit from large economies of scale and port efficiency,” he said.

The Regional Managing Director of Messina Giuseppe Fedele said despite the Suez Canal problem, the shipping firm will strive to stick to its transit time, saying Mombasa is the preferred transshipment hub for the company. He said more ships are destined to the Port of Mombasa.

“We are using Mombasa as a transshipment port, this is the fifth vessel using Mombasa Port. We have a plan to improve and bring more big cargo,” he said.

Ruto disclosed that Lamu Port will next month receive three new equipment for offloads, paving the way for fresh transshipments of cargo.

“In two to three months you will see Lamu Port doing a lot of transshipment,” he said.

Container handlers

Port of Mombasa has a contingent of 16 ship-to-shore gantries, 25 reach stackers, 27 empty container handlers, 58 rubber-tyred, and eight rail-mounted gantries.

Last year, the authority received three brand-new STSs, which were installed at the newly completed Berth 22 that has been operational ever since.