Mumbai, October 6, 2009: Port Pipavav has launched a joint venture with Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC Berhad) for bringing in refrigerated containers (reefer) cargo through their ships to Port Pipavav. MISC Berhad, a subsidiary of PETRONAS, Malaysia, is a leading international shipping line in Malaysia and currently berths ships at Nhava Sheva in Mumbai. Port Pipavav will be its second port destination in India.  Port Pipavav will now have MISC Berhad’s Halal Express Service (HE1), a leading Reefer carrier operating from the Far East to India, calling at the port. Port Pipavav’s strategic location and the availability of high tech infrastructure for reefers make it the most attractive port in Gujarat for reefer containers.

“Through this exclusive and independent service of MISC, shippers in the Gujarat region, including the seafood exporters in New Delhi, Ludhiana and Jaipur, will get a direct and fast service to China and other South East Asian ports,” said Prakash Tulsiani, managing director of Port Pipavav. “We are keen to make Port Pipavav an attractive port for North West India’s ex-im cargo movement. This service will take us one step closer to achieving our goal,” he added.

The HE1 was first launched in November 2006. Following the encouraging response from the trade, the service has been upgraded with bigger vessels since April this year. Six vessels with a capacity of 4,250 twenty foot equivalent (TEU) each have been deployed for the weekly service in the following route, Shanghai – Ningbo – Shekou – Jakarta – Singapore – Tanjung Pelapas - Port Kelang – Karachi – Jebel Ali – Bandar Abbas – Pipavav – Nhava Sheva – Colombo – Port Kelang – Singapore – Shanghai.  

In a message commemorating the occasion, Baharuddin Arbak, vice president-Liner Business Unit of MISC said, “To mark the occasion of the first call of MISC’s HE1 to Pipavav, I would like to thank the Indian trade  for their support towards us over the past 10 years. The inclusion of Pipavav as a port of call in our HE1 proves our continuous support and reaffirms our commitment towards the Indian maritime trade. I also wish to extend my thanks and appreciation to the management of Port Pipavav and our appointed agent in India Crescent Shipping, for their assistance in making this possible. MISC also looks forward to support from the Indian shipping community in making our HE1 a success.”

“This is a proud moment for us and I am extremely happy that a reputed international company like MISC has demonstrated its confidence in Port Pipavav,” said Mr Tulsiani.  “We are growing at a fast pace and we look forward to the support and trust of established companies such as MISC to help us realise our full potential quickly.”

To commemorate the maiden call of the HE1 at Port Pipavav, a function was held on board of the vessel Bunga Raya Tiga voy 104E. Besides the master and senior officers of the vessel, the function was attended by senior personnel from Port Pipavav and Crescent Shipping Agency India Limited, which is a part of Transworld group of companies, who represent MISC in India. The traditional lamp was lit in keeping with the Indian custom and plaques were exchanged in keeping with the age old tradition of the sea.

About Port Pipavav

Port Pipavav is a subsidiary of APM Terminals of the A.P.Moller-Maersk group. Located in Saurashtra, Gujarat, west of Bhavnagar, merely 153 nautical miles from Jawaharlal Nehru Prot Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai, Port Pipavav is emerging as an important gateway port on the west coast of India for containers as well as bulk and liquid cargo. Port Pipavav is operated by APM Terminals that acquired a majority stake in Port Pipavav in 2005. Extensive modernisation efforts are being undertaken at the port currently, which now boasts of 8 panamax cranes (five of them post Panamax), 18 rubber tyred gantry cranes, several warehouses, bagging plants, quay length of 1,075 metre and a 14.5 metre draft at high tide. The port has extensive connectivity through road and rail with the rest of the country.

For further information please contact:

Port Pipavav                                                                                                                        

Bhuvana Ramalingam                                                                                                       

Mob:+919769488259                                                                                                                                                                        

E-mail: bhuvana.ramalingam@portofpipavav.com