<\/p>\n
By Bon Peters\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT) in Rivers State has again made history, successfully hosting the largest vessel to ever berth at the Onne Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT), the Kota Carum.<\/p>\n The milestone event occurred on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, further underscoring OMT\u2019s growing prominence as a hub for large-scale maritime trade in West Africa.<\/p>\n Flying the Singaporean flag, the Kota Carum is owned by Pacific International Lines (PIL), one of Asia\u2019s leading shipping companies. The mega container vessel, measuring an impressive 301.43 metres in length overall, arrived at the OMT jetty at 10:30 hours and was safely berthed by 10:50 hours, utilizing berths 9 and 10.<\/p>\n Boasting a capacity of 6,606 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), Kota Carum is a major addition to the line of large vessels now calling Onne Port. During its 55-hour port stay, the vessel will discharge 1,250 containers and load 1,619 containers\u2014including export-bound cargo and empty containers.<\/p>\n Speaking at a reception to welcome the vessel, Chief Operating Officer of OMT, Jim Stewart, described the call as a landmark event not only for the terminal but for Nigeria\u2019s maritime industry at large.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are incredibly honoured to receive the largest vessel to ever berth at Onne. Following the arrival of the Kota Cempaka last year, this achievement reflects our continued growth, our strategic investments in terminal infrastructure, and our unwavering commitment to operational excellence,\u201d Stewart stated.<\/p>\n Stewart emphasized that OMT\u2019s ongoing modernization efforts, including the acquisition of additional state-of-the-art cranes, have significantly enhanced cargo-handling capabilities and reduced vessel turnaround time.<\/p>\n He further noted the economic advantages of hosting such large vessels at Nigerian ports, explaining that direct calls by larger ships eliminate the need for transshipment via smaller feeder vessels \u2014 cutting down logistics costs and reducing freight tariffs for Nigerian importers and exporters.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not just a win for OMT, it\u2019s a win for the Nigerian economy. The ability to berth larger vessels means more direct cargo movement, reduced logistics costs, and increased revenue for the country. Freight forwarders also benefit significantly, as they avoid the extra costs associated with transshipment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Stewart also expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for its vital support in creating an enabling environment for OMT to thrive.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have an excellent working relationship with the Port Manager, Mr. Abdulrahmon Hussain, and the entire team at the Nigerian Ports Authority. The leadership of the Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has been instrumental in our success. Allowing a vessel of this magnitude to berth at our terminal is a vote of confidence in our capabilities,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n He called on the Federal Government to allocate more funding for channel dredging at the Onne Port to accommodate even larger vessels and further boost trade volumes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are fully prepared to receive vessels from any shipping line. But for us to unlock the full potential of Onne Port, additional dredging is essential. We urge the Federal Government to support NPA with the necessary resources to deepen and widen the channels,\u201d Stewart appealed.<\/p>\n Also speaking at the event, the Chief Pilot of Onne Port, Yakubu Ezra, reaffirmed NPA\u2019s technical readiness to handle large vessels.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the Nigerian Ports Authority, we are fully equipped \u2014 both in training and technology \u2014 to safely pilot large vessels into our ports. The successful berthing of Kota Carum is evidence of our capacity and professionalism,\u201d Ezra said.<\/p>\n The successful hosting of Kota Carum marks a significant leap forward for OMT and positions Onne Port as a viable gateway capable of accommodating global trade routes. As more shipping lines look toward West Africa, OMT\u2019s infrastructure, efficiency, and strategic location continue to attract increasing volumes of international maritime traffic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Bon Peters\u00a0 The Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT) in Rivers State has again made history, successfully hosting the largest vessel to ever berth at the Onne Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT), the Kota Carum. The milestone event occurred on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, further underscoring OMT\u2019s growing prominence as a hub for large-scale maritime<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","category-headlines"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deepstrataenergy.com\/phmundial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deepstrataenergy.com\/phmundial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deepstrataenergy.com\/phmundial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deepstrataenergy.com\/phmundial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deepstrataenergy.com\/phmundial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/deepstrataenergy.com\/phmundial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15930\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deepstrataenergy.com\/phmundial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deepstrataenergy.com\/phmundial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deepstrataenergy.com\/phmundial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deepstrataenergy.com\/phmundial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}