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NZ's Tauranga to dock its biggest ship - 9,640-TEU Aotea Maersk

THE ability to handle 10,000-TEU ships is what makes the NZ$350 million upgrade in New Zealand's North Island Port of Tauranga worthwhile, say port authority officials, reports IHS Media.

All eyes will be focused on the docking of the 9,640-TEU Aotea Maersk, the biggest ship ever to call at a New Zealand port when it arrives on October 4. So far only 5,000-TEU ships are the biggest callers.

"Over the long term, large ships have the potential to deliver in excess of NZ$300 million in annual savings to the country's exporters and importers," said Tauranga port authority chairman David Pilkington.

Said port CEO Mark Cairns: "The efficiencies they will bring and the potential costs savings for New Zealand importers and exporters are significant."

Maersk Line will insert Tauranga on the westbound northward leg of its AC-3 Asia-West Coast South America service, a weekly service connecting Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Peru and Chile directly to New Zealand.

Alphaliner said the New Zealand link would only be provided in the WCSA-NZ-Asia direction, but will complement the eastbound-only WCSA-NZ-Asia link offered since July on the AC-1 West Coast South America-Asia service.The combination of the two separate services will be equivalent to a two-way Asia-NZ-WCSA loop and will make Maersk the only carrier to provide a direct bi-directional weekly service between New Zealand and the west coast of South America, operating under the marketing name, South Pacific Express.

Docking big ships obviated the need to transship cargo in Asia or California to connect the New Zealand with west coast South America markets, greatly improving transit times.

The Port of Tauranga has a long-term strategy to extend its freight catchment and consolidate its position as the country's leading freight gateway.

Handling larger vessels is a key part of this focus and shipping channels have been widened and deepened, to 14.5 metres (47.6 feet) inside the harbour entrance and 15.8 metres outside the harbour.

That long-term plan also included signing a 10-year deal with logistics company Kotahi that guaranteed Tauranga 1.8 million TEU over that period.

A Shippers Council report recommended that New Zealand only have four deep-sea ports: Auckland, Tauranga, Lyttelton and Otago.

Dredging in Auckland is nearing completion and work is under way at Tauranga. The Lyttelton project is still in the planning stage and although the first stage of dredging at Otago has been completed, the second phase to allow the port to handle ships of 8,000 TEU faces local opposition.