SLPA says shipping giants express confidence over success at MRMRP

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) says inquiries are flowing into seeking increased and continued opportunities to carry out Ro-Ro operations at Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port (MRMRP) following the success of the first ever Ro-Ro consignments accomplished last week.

M.V. Frisia with an LOA of 176m and a capacity of 3721 units belonged to K Line Ltd. and ABC Shipping (Pvt) Ltd. as the local agents was the first to call at MRMRP on 6 June 2012 with 15 units as a local Ro-Ro consignment.

The vessel was made to leave the port within few hours of the same day following successful Ro-Ro operations. She was followed by M.V. Asian Sun with the first largest Ro-Ro transhipment consignment at the new port. The vessel registered in Panama with an LOA of 184m and a capacity of 4200 units, belonged to Hyundai Glovis and Aitken Spence Shipping as the local agents brought nearly 1,000 vehicles at MRMRP to be transhipped to Algeria.

The efficient operations conducted at the port in time enabled easy manoeuvring and the total unloading was accomplished within the same day enabling the vessel to leave MRMRP early Thursday 7 June 2012.  

A number of representatives from renowned Ro-Ro shipping lines and their local agents keenly interested to witness the success of the commencement of Ro-Ro operations at MRMRP were seen present at the new port to have a firsthand sight of the eligibility of MRMRP to function as an efficient and dedicated facility to manure and operate Ro-Ro vessels in its transhipment activities.

They also stated their consent that the new initiative would express MRMRP as a much reliable and safer facility to handle Ro-Ro vessels and their operations in the entire region. SLPA Chairman Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama expressed his extreme confidence over the success of the first ever Ro-Ro operations at MRMRP, stating that with the largest-ever infrastructure projects booming in the southern area, no force could stop the region becoming the industrial capital of Sri Lanka. Deputy Minister of Port and Highways Rohitha Abegu-nawardhane, Hambantota District Parliamentarian MP Namal Rajapaksa, Secretary of the Ministry of Ports and Highways Ranjith Pemasiri, SLPA Managing Director Capt. Nihal Keppetipola, Executive Director of SLPA Dr. Sanjaya Sedara Senarath, SLPA Harbour Master Capt. Ravi Jayawickrama, Chief Engineer (Southern Port Development) Agil Hewageegana, ABC Shipping (Pvt.) Ltd. Chairman John Shiran Dissanayake, Managing Director Wasantha Thalagala, General Manager Tressel G. Silva, Executive Director Ravi Tony De Costa, Senior Manager Reggie Dias, Manager of Glovis India W.H. Han, Director Aitken Spence Shipping Kavan Aluvihare, DGM (Operations) Hasthika Dela, DGM (Operations) Chathura Nissanka, Operations Executive Shaun Pereira, several distinguished politicians in the region, a number of invitees from the business community and shipping lines, executive staff members of the SLPA management and a large number of media personnel from print and electronic media were also present at the commencement of Ro-Ro operations at the Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port in Hambantota.