ADPC Moves RoRo Transport to Khalifa
Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) said it was transferring all of its Roll-On and Roll-Off (RORO) cargo, such as cars and trucks, from Zayed Port to Khalifa Port.
The move comes as a result of Abu Dhabi’s growing vehicle import and export business and will be effective from 1 January 2015.
Khalifa Port offers more facilities and an increasing number of direct links (currently 52) to destination ports around the globe.
“The current RORO import and export activities serve Abu Dhabi and the UAE, but the extended space and capacity at Khalifa Port will attract more RORO transshipment for the wider Gulf region, facilitating a more competitive and therefore customer-friendly market,” ADPC added.
While Zayed Port has many vehicle slots on its port site and can handle two RORO vessels at a time, Khalifa Port will have 15,000 slots and will be able to handle up to four vessels at a time.
ADPC pointed out that the new RORO hub at Khalifa Port will be designed to guarantee quick turnaround times and supply chain efficiency for shipping lines.
During the transitional period Zayed Port will continue to provide a storage area for the remaining vehicles.
“By moving all of our RORO traffic to Khalifa Port, we can enhance our facilities and offer our customers a consolidated full service RORO hub, supported by the adjacent Kizad logistics and distribution zone,” says Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO, ADPC.
ADPC’s latest figures underline the massive growth of Abu Dhabi’s RORO business: A record number of 10,472 vehicles were handled at Zayed Port in October, the highest number of vehicles ever handled in a single month.
In 2013, a total of 89,280 vehicles were imported to/exported from the emirate, this year’s RORO moves already add up to 84,869 vehicles and the year end volumes are expected to be in the region of 100,000 vehicles.
“From 2013 to the end of 2014, we are anticipating a year-on-year increase of around 13%. As our market analysis indicates, next year, we expect to exceed 130,000 vehicles at Khalifa. With Khalifa Port as Abu Dhabi’s new market base for RORO cargo, we will be able to effectively cater for this growth and offer economies of scale to our customers”, Al Shamisi adds.
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