Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, a subsidiary of SIFAX Group recently made history when it handled the largest ship to call at any seaport in Nigeria.

The container vessel, MSC SHAULA, owned and operated by MSC Ship Management Hong Kong, berthed at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos terminal of Ports & Cargo.

MSC Ship Management Hong Kong is the Asian division of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which is second largest container shipping operator in the world.

The vessel has an overall length of 275.04 meters and the length between perpendiculars stands at 263.00 meters.

MSC SHAULA, which was built by the Hyundai Heavy Industries, also has a maximum cargo capacity of 4,651 Twenty Equivalent Units TEUs while its draft and gross tonnage are 13.62 meters and 51,836 GRT respectively.

Group Managing Director of SIFAX. Mr. John Jenkins, Who spoke on the significance of the vessel, said it was historic but not coincidental that such vessel berthed at the Ports & Cargo terminal.

“We are delighted that history was made with the arrival of this humongous vessel in the Nigerian waters, most especially its berth at our terminal. Ports & Cargo terminal has demonstrated over the years its leadership capability in the country’s maritime industry, particularly in the area of port terminal management coupled with excellent customer service”, he said:

According to him, t he company has made a huge investment in infrastructure and equipment at the terminal in the last ten years and has also attracted a number of discerning clients, including MSC, the operators of the vessel.

He also disclosed that the unique selling proposition of the terminal remains the quality service it provides for its clientele.

Meanwhile, the captain of the ship, Captain Dinkar, who spoke on his experience, noted that he has received warm welcome from the Ports & Cargo terminal staff as well as other government regulatory agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority, among others.

He commended the company for providing modern equipment, which made the berthing of such large ship easy