MV Cygnus Leader calls at Hambantota port

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 on June 13. 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 operates at present 838 major ocean vessels.

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 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 Chairman SLPA, 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 the officials of Messrs. 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 the Hambantota Port to grace the occasion.

Commenting at the the ceremony, SLPA Chairman Dr. Priyath B Wickrama said “I believe that the capability of the H'tota Port to function as an efficient facility to manure and operate Ro/Ro vessels in their transshipment 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 patronize the 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 H'tota Port too, knowing very well that Sri Lanka Ports Authority possesses every capability to deliver a highly effective strategy for business expansion.”