---

Sohar Port’s Oman International Container Terminal (OICT) has revealed that the number of vessels calling for transshipment operations has increased, partly due to the considerable savings in bunkers costs it claims can be achieved.

Over the past month alone, around seven vessels have called at OICT for transshipment operations, according to Chief Executive Officer, Lawrence Teo.

“We are seeing transshipment volumes grow as shipping lines see the benefits of transshipping out of Sohar. By calling at Sohar, which is well outside the Arabian Gulf, a vessel saves two days of sailing time into the Upper Gulf, and a similar amount of time for the return leg. Besides saving on expensive charter rates as a result, there are also considerable savings in bunker fuel costs, which are presently at an all-time high," commented Teo.

"The overall savings to shipping lines can amount several million dollars per annum per vessel. Besides, OICT ensures berths on arrival, superior productivity levels of over 30 moves per hour and a truck turnaround of 20 minutes,” the CEO added.

The announcement follows the recent arrival of the largest ever container vessel to visit a port in north Oman, strengthening the terminal's credentials as a regional transshipment hub of the future.

The 334-metre-long MSC Baltic, with a capacity of 8,094 TEUs (twenty equivalent units of containers), discharged approximately 3,000 TEU of containers at the terminal last Thursday over a period of approximately 24 hours.

Commenting on the visit of the super-post-Panamax vessel, Lawrence Teo said “We are greatly encouraged by the visit of the likes of MSC Baltic, which demonstrates OICT’s capabilities in handling even giant sixth generation container ships. More and more liners are taking advantage of Sohar’s strategic geographical location outside of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as OICT’s superior operational efficiencies, for their transshipment business.”

The visit of the MSC Baltic is the latest in a succession of 'trial' calls by vessels of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) as the shipping line reportedly evaluates the port's suitability to serve as a hub for the company's regional transshipment business.

Last month, another MSC-owned container vessel, MSC Gianna, made its first visit to OICT on a similar ‘trial run’ during which it discharged almost 1,100 TEUs of transshipment containers.

Faced with congestion at other ports in the region, an increasing number of shipping lines are said to be evaluating Sohar's suitability as an alternative for their transshipment business. A trend, which could have a positive impact on bunker volumes sold at the port in the near future.