Unfazed by indecision over the dredging of its approach channel, Northport at Port Klang will in June receive another largest containership in the world – serving only to underscore the shipping line’s confidence in Malaysia’s largest container port.

The Anglo-Dutch P&O Nedlloyd, now  the world’s second largest container shipping line is deploying another of the world’s largest containership -“P&O Nedlloyd Stuyvesant” – to Port Klang, hot on the heels of its sister vessel, “P&O Nedlloyd Shackleton”, which called Port Klang earlier this month.

The maiden call of the 6,802 TEUs capacity container ship further serves to underline the commitment of P&O Nedlloyd to Port Klang as transhipment becomes the next driver of growth.

The commitment by P&O Nedlloyd – Port Klang’s longest serving and loyal customer – is clearly manifested by the fact it has taken its own initiative to overcome some of the operational limitations at the port.

“The initiative (to route such large vessels) is no doubt a reflection of the importance and faith in the Malaysian market and the vast opportunities for transhipment via Port Klang,” said the managing director of P&O Nedlloyd Malaysia, Patrick Lim Keng Lee.

With a length of 300 metres, width of 43 meters and deadweight over 87,000 tons, the “P&O Nedlloyd Stuyvesant” is, like its sister vessel, one of the largest containerships in the world with a service speed of 24.5 knots.  The new vessel is deployed in the Grand Alliance’s Europe-Far East Service and sails under the Netherlands flag.

Lim said the two other sister vessels, “P&O Nedlloyd Houtman” and “P&O Nedlloyd Cook” to be delivered between now and August this year will also call Port Klang in the weekly Europe-Far East Service.

“These four newbuildings of the Whale Class with four others of the Southampton Class, brings the total to eight vessels of the above 6,000 TEUs in the P&O Nedlloyd fleet of more than 140 vessels,” he said.

The deployment of the largest containerships in the P&O Nedlloyd fleet to Port Klang represent a natural progression to the steps taken last year when P&O Nedlloyd deployed a record 8 newbuildings of the 5,500 TEUs “P&O Nedlloyd Hudson” class to Port Klang in various Asia-Europe Services in the Grand Alliance.

The vessel launched in March 2001 is named in honour of Peter Stuyvesant, who was the Dutch Colonial Governor of “New-Netherlands” (today, New York State) from 1645 until 1664.