Record container exchange

Ports of Auckland handled a record exchange of containers from a ship to shore last week when the regular schedule of P&O Nedlloyd's new super container ship service to Europe began.

The staff at the Fergusson container terminal handled 2220 moves from the P&O Nedlloyd Remuera, which was equal to moving 3200 20ft containers. That is about half the total capacity of the 25ha Fergusson site, and nearly twice the size of any exchange handled previously.

They have to do it all again every Tuesday because the service is weekly and on a fixed day.

Ports of Auckland chief executive Geoff Vazey regarded the move to larger ships as part of an evolution toward hubbing, whereby international ships called at fewer ports.