SIU-contracted Maersk Line, Limited late last week announced the establishment of a port facility and direct vessel service to Al Zubayr, Iraq.“Maersk has opened a new gateway to Iraq at the port of Al Zubayr located 8 km north of the Umm Qasr terminal on the Khor Al Zubayr waterway,” the company noted in a press release. “The terminal is Maersk-operated and recognized by the Coalition Provisional Authority. British military and Maersk’s terminal security force provide 24/7 security for this facility which features 13 berths, 900 paved acres, and 12 warehouses providing approximately 176,000 square meters of covered space. Direct intermodal access by rail or truck to the terminal provides a projected annual throughput of 200,000 TEU.”
The first “vessel call” to Al Zubayr is slated to be made by the SIU-crewed Maersk Alaska in the first week of April.
“The use of U.S.-flag vessels, 100 percent crewed by U.S. citizens, projects U.S. maritime influence in Iraq,” the company pointed out. “Deploying two U.S.-flag, self-sustaining vessels to service Kuwait, Iraq, and Bahrain from Jebel Ali provides better flexibility and reliability for the service. Furthermore, the use of Al Zubayr will eliminate Kuwait customs issues and reduce the demand on other strained assets such as Kuwait ports, trucks, and military escorts.”
The full release is available here
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