PETALING JAYA: Northport (M) Bhd, a member of MMC Group, recently celebrated a historic milestone as it welcomed MV OOCL Japan, the largest ever container vessel to berth at its facilities in Port Klang.
Owned by Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) Ltd, MV OOCL Japan boasts a capacity of 21,413 TEUs, setting a new record for Northport by surpassing the previous largest ship to call at its port, MV Eugen Maersk, which had a capacity of 11,000 TEUs, in 2013.
Northport CEO Datuk Azman Shah Mohd Yusof said, “We are extremely proud to host MV OOCL Japan at Northport. This historic achievement is the result of our ongoing efforts to enhance our facilities and services as part of our ‘Reinventing Northport’ initiative, ensuring that this 61-year-old port remains relevant and competitive. The ability to berth such a large vessel demonstrates Northport’s capability and readiness to handle the ever-growing demands of the international maritime trade,”
MV OOCL Japan’s arrival is particularly significant as it represents a considerable advancement from the first container vessel to berth at Northport in Port Klang, the MV Tokyo Bay. With a capacity of 3,000 TEUs, MV Tokyo Bay was the world’s first third generation full container vessel to call Port Klang on Aug 5, 1973, marking the advent of containerisation in Malaysia.
Azman pointed out that the Red Sea geopolitical issues has caused disruption to world trade as shipping lines face delays due to rerouting of services and this has led to congestion in other major ports in the region.
