NYK Line commences patronizing MRMRP

The Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro/Ro) vessel MV Cygnus Leader of the Japanese NYK Line made its first call at the Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port (MRMRP) yesterday.

Cygnus Leader, with the capacity to load 6,500 units of vehicles onboard, called at the MRMR Port on its way from Japan to the Middle East and discharged 806 vehicles and machinery manufactured in Japan, Germany, UK and Thailand that was consigned to Sri Lanka.

NYK line (Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha) is one of the world’s leading transportation companies which operate 838 major ocean vessels at present. It is the world’s largest car-carrier with 121 car-carrier vessels in operation at the start of this financial year.

Incidentally, this was the third car carrier to call at the MRMR Port in June this year, following the first and the second MV Frisia of K Line and MV Asian Sun of Hyundai Glovis respectively.

NYK Ro/Ro has an expansive fleet to include industry’s most flexible and sophisticated Ro/Ro vessels. Offering regular sailings to and from the major ports around the world, NYK can handle virtually any request and perform in accordance with the highest quality standards.

To mark the significance of this move to the SLPA, plaques were exchanged among SLPA Chairman Dr. Priyath B Wickrama, Managing Director Capt. Nihal Keppetipola and the Master of the vessel MV Cygnus Leader Capt. Mun Man Chun in the presence of senior officials of SLPA including Senior Deputy Harbour Master Capt. Athula Hewavitharana, Deputy Chief Manager (Administration) – Nimal Jayatissa and officials of NYK Line Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., including Managing Director Ruwan Waidyaratne, Director Asanka Ratnayake, Director Vishvanath Daluwatta and Deputy General Manager Sagara Peris.

Wataru Kuroda – Deputy Manager, Car Carrier Group, Middle East and Africa Team from Tokyo Head Office, Capt. Keiichiro Nakayama – Car Carrier Group (Quality Control), from NYK RORO Asia office in Singapore and Capt. Masahiro Ochiai – General Manager, had specifically flown to MRMR Port to grace the occasion.

Commenting at the ceremony, the SLPA Chairman said: “I believe that the capability of the MRMR Port to function as an efficient facility to manure and operate Ro/Ro vessels in their transhipment activities has now been proved without an iota of doubt. It is a much reliable and safer facility. With the largest-ever infrastructure projects taking shape in the southern province, I believe, nothing could hinder the region becoming the industrial capital of Sri Lanka.”

Expressing his optimism, at the occasion, Managing Director of SLPA Capt. Nihal Keppetipola concluded: “I must thank NYK line for their decision to patronise the MRMR Port. We have demonstrated to our valued customers, our management efficiency and operational capabilities and won their loyalty. This was evidenced specifically by the G6 Alliance with the lead line NYK coming back to the state-run JCT after 10 years in March this year. I most heartily thank the NYK line for choosing MRMR Port too, knowing very well that Sri Lanka Ports Authority possesses every capability to deliver a highly effective strategy for business expansion.”