CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal, a container terminal built and operated by China's COSCO SHIPPING Ports Limited (CSP) at Khalifa Port in partnership with Abu Dhabi Ports, has received two of the world’s largest mega-vessels within less than a month - cementing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global maritime hub.
The ships – MV. COSCO SHIPPING SOLAR and PISCES – are the third and fourth main line vessels to pass through CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal since it started trial operations in April 20, 2019. They follow the arrival of MV. CSCL Mercury, a Chinese container ship with a capacity of 14,000 TEU, on 20 April 2019, and MV. CSCL Globe, which arrived on April 27, 2019 with a capacity of 19,000 TEU.
With a capacity of 21,000 TEU, SOLAR, which arrived on May 25, is the largest ship ever to call at Khalifa Port. The PISCES, which called on May 5, held the same accolade for just under three weeks with its capacity of 20,000 TEUS. The arrival of the ships , which started their journeys from Qingdao in China, highlights Abu Dhabi’s position as a major trade hub along China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Abu Dhabi Ports is the operator and manager of the Emirate's commercial and community ports, as well as Khalifa Industrial Zone (KIZAD). The CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal, which was inaugurated in December, connects Khalifa Port to CSP’s global terminal portfolio covering 285 berths at 37 ports worldwide.
The deep-water, semi-automated container terminal includes the largest Container Freight Station (CFS) in the Middle East, covering 275,000 square meters. The state-of-the-art facility offers facilities for full and partial bonded container shipments, the full range of container packing services, short-term warehousing for de-consolidated cargo as well as easy connectivity with container terminals in Khalifa Port. The terminal is also the first international greenfield subsidiary of COSCO SHIPPING Ports, whose ultimate parent company, China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, is the largest integrated shipping enterprise in the world.
The CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal has a design capacity of 2.5 million TEU, with 1200 meters of quay. The water depth of the terminal is 18 meters, allowing it to accommodate mega-vessels typically carrying in excess of 20,000 TEU. CSP has invested AED1.1 billion in capital expenditure on construction and machinery at the terminal.
CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal is the result of a 35-year agreement between Abu Dhabi Ports and COSCO SHIPPING Ports, and forms part of a five-year strategy by Abu Dhabi Ports aimed at strengthening the maritime sector in the Emirate and driving economic diversification. The strategy, in line with Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, aims to increase regional trade and attract foreign direct investment. Abu Dhabi Ports has earmarked AED10 billion in investment that will increase capacity at Khalifa Port from the current 5 million TEU to 9.1 million TEU, which also includes boosting capacity at Terminal 1 to more than 5 million TEU.