APM Terminals Maasvlakte II held a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the world’s most automated container terminal.
The event that was attended by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and 500 representatives of the port industry and governments from around the world. This is claimed to be the most technologically advanced and most durable container terminal in the world.
Built on land reclaimed from the North Sea – the port is described by APM Terminals as an engineering marvel that will set the pace for other ports worldwide in sustainability, higher productivity, safety and innovation. The total cost of the investment is said to be EUR 500 million.
“With this terminal, a new chapter in the history of container terminals is written, as we demonstrate that safety, efficiency, sustainability, and world trade can go hand-in-hand,” said Kim Fejfer, CEO of APM Terminals.
“The development of the most advanced container terminal in the world is not just about sand, quay walls and cranes. At the end of the day it is about people. It is about team work, cooperation, leadership and passion,” Kim Fejfer said, acknowledging a long list of participants and partners in the creation of the terminal.
“The terminal we are inaugurating and celebrating today is another fine example of how the Maersk Group can differentiate through technology and innovation,” said Maersk Group CEO, Nils S. Andersen in connection to the launch, and highlighted that MVII was the perfect example of how making better use of technology can increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve customer service.
Construction began in May 2012, with the first commercial vessel call in December 2014. Successful systems testing and ramp-up have been completed to bring the first phase of APM Terminals Maasvlakte II into full operational status.
The 86 hectare (212 acre) deep-water terminal features 1,000 meters of quay, on-dock rail, and eight fully-automated electric-powered Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes, with an annual throughput capacity of 2.7 million TEUs.