Port of
Wilmington, Delaware welcomes the world’s
newest reefer ship, Seatrade’s m/v Atlantic Klipper,
on her Maiden Voyage to the U.S.
(Wilmington, Del)
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The Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC), owner and operator of the
Port of Wilmington, Delaware, Pacific Delaware, Inc., Murphy Marine
Services, Inc., and Seatrade Reefer Chartering (Seatrade) welcomed the
arrival of Seatrade’s newest vessel, m/v Atlantic Klipper, on her
maiden voyage to the U.S. on Thursday, the 24th of February, 2011.
Seatrade, celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2011, is the world’s
largest operator of refrigerated (reefer) vessels and, specializes in
the carriage of perishable cargo. Pacific Seaways, a Santiago, Chile
based consortium of growers and exporters, has chartered the m/v
Atlantic Klipper and several other Seatrade ships to maintain a
scheduled service to load Chilean fruit in the ports of Caldera,
Coquimbo, and Valparaiso for delivery to the Port of Wilmington from
December through April. On this call to Wilmington, the Atlantic Klipper
will discharge her cargo of more than 7700 pallets of table grapes and
stone fruit for distribution throughout North America.
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“We congratulate Seatrade on the recent addition of m/v Atlantic
Klipper to its reefer fleet,” said Gene Bailey, Diamond State Port
Corporation’s Executive Director. “Seatrade’s continued investment in
growing their fleet underscores its commitment of service to their
customers and to leadership in the very sophisticated transport of high
value, perishable cargo on trade lanes throughout the world.”
Port of Wilmington’s maritime community celebrated m/v Atlantic
Klipper’s maiden voyage to the U.S. with a plaque presentation
ceremony onboard.
The ship was delivered on the 4th of January, 2011 at Kitanihon
Shipbuilding in Hachinohe City, Japan and christened on the 4th of
February, 2011 in Valparaiso, Chile. She is 165 meters long (541.3
feet), and can carry 5400 pallets under-deck and 247 forty-foot long
shipping containers on deck, 200 of which can be refrigerated when
powered up by special electrical connections installed onboard.
She boasts two 40 metric ton cranes and two 8 metric ton cranes which
allow for a speedy self-sustained loading or discharging of both
containers and of palletized cargo. The vessel can reach a maximum speed
of 21.5 knots ensuring its cargo gets to market quicker than that
carried by its competitors. The m/v Atlantic Klipper has a sister
ship, the m/v Baltic Klipper, which was launched in September
2010.
About
the Port of Wilmington, Delaware
Founded in 1923, the Port of
Wilmington is a full service Mid-Atlantic seaport on the Delaware River
strategically located serving over 200 million North American consumers
by overnight truck and rail delivery. Wilmington ranks as the nation’s
leading gateway for imported perishable cargo, the world’s top banana
port, and the owner and operator of one of the largest on-dock cold
storage complexes in North America. An economic engine for the State of
Delaware and the region, it is responsible for 14,900 jobs, $405 million
in business revenue, and $28 million in annual local taxes. The Port is
owned and operated by the Diamond State Port Corporation, a corporation
of the State of Delaware. |
