Chennai Port welcomes largest container ship MV CMA CGM Rhone

September 11, 2019: MV CMA CGM Rhone, the largest container vessel to visit India’s south and eastern coast, called on Chennai Port on September 8. It was berthed by Chennai Container Terminal, operated by DP World.

The 299.95-m-long vessel, flagged from Malta, has a capacity of 9365 TEUs (Twenty feet Equivalent Units). The vessel arrived from Singapore with 2434 TEUs imports and loaded 1345 TEUs exports.

“We have worked in tandem with the terminal operators to enhance infrastructure at the port. The permissible vessel draft has been deepened in order to welcome next generation large vessels at the port. It gives me a sense of pride to see a ship of this size calling the Port of Chennai. We encourage and look forward to receiving larger vessels at the port,” said P Raveendran, IRTS – chairman, Chennai Port Trust.

Operated by French container line CMA CGM, it is one of the 14 ships deployed on the NEMO (North Europe Med Oceania) service run by CMA CGM and Hapag Lloyd.
Ugo Vincent, managing director, CMA CGM Agencies, India said, “We are delighted that our ship, the CMA CGM Rhone, is the largest to call at the Chennai Container Terminal. This terminal’s facilities, which have an efficient infrastructure and productivity, will help us reduce berthing time and improve our efficiency.”

The NEMO service is the only direct service to Europe from the South and East coast ports of India. It connects North Europe and the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean and Australia and dips into Chennai on its west bound leg, thereby offering exporters direct connections to Mediterranean and European market.

Captain R Venkatesh, chief executive officer, CCTL, DP World, said, “DP World has been the fore runner in achieving tall targets in South India. From one of the earliest container terminals in this region offering a gateway to more than 50 ports globally, we are the first terminal to be docking a container vessel of this size, in the region. We thank CMA CGM for deploying a vessel of this size, paving the way for cargo growth opportunities and shortest transit times which is of significant importance today."