Post-Panamax era arrives for Atlantica

Halifax (September 21, 2006) – It slipped into port on a quiet Saturday afternoon, ostensibly just another . But the OOCL Chicago isn’t just another container ship and its arrival in Halifax is more than just a quiet docking. It’s a landmark – a symbol of what could be a bright future for Atlantica.

The OOCL Chicago dwarfs the Halifax skyline at dock at Fairview Cove in Halifax on September 21st. Note the post-Panamax crane behind the vessel.

The OOCL Chicago is a post-Panamax vessel capable of carrying 5,417 TEUs (twenty- foot equivalent units). Its destinations include some of the largest ports in the : , Singapore, Colombo, New York, and now Halifax.

The Chicago may be the first, but the use of Halifax by post-Panamax vessels will soon become a regular occurrence. Four other slightly smaller post-Panamax OOCL vessels will begin service to Halifax shortly – the OOCL New York on January 25th; the OOCL Korea on February 1st; the OOCL Shanghai on February 15th; and the OOCL Singapore on February 22nd, all part of a weekly service linking Atlantica to via the Suez Canal, possibly the first of many such services.

These mega vessels are changing global trading patterns. Too large for the Panama Canal, they load containers in Asian ports, sail through the Suez Canal, and deliver to ports along ’s east coast for into the hungry American marketplace. However, their sheer size and the water depth they need mean only the largest ports can handle a fully loaded post-Panamax container vessel. Atlantica can become that gateway to the lucrative NA market through ports like Halifax and a transportation network that includes rail, road and short sea shipping to other east coast ports that can’t handle these mega vessels.

OOCL hosted an inaugural reception on board the OOCL Chicago on January 21st to mark the landmark arrival. Among those attending, from left to right were: Patrick Bohan, Halifax Port Authority; Brian Lee Crowley, president, Atlantic Institute for Market Studies; OOCL Chicago Captain Sun To Chiu; and David Watson, president of OOCL Canada.

The Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) is part of the Grand Alliance with members Hapag-Lloyd Container Line (HLCL) and Kaisha (NYK) also moving volumes through the Port of Halifax. As part of the Grand Alliance’s two services, AEX and PAX vessels call four times per week at the Fairview Cove Container Terminal, operated by Ceres.

OOCL has 20 ships on order totaling 115,392 TEUs, four of which are 8,063 TEU vessels, due for delivery in 2006 and 2007.