Chinese container ship SOLAR is seen at CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal of Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on May 25, 2019. SOLAR, a Chinese container ship with a capacity of 21,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit), arrived on Saturday at the CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal of Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal, built and operated by China's COSCO Shipping Ports Limited (CSP) and Abu Dhabi Ports, has a design capacity of 2.5 million TEU. (Xinhua/Su Xiaopo)
DUBAI, May 25 (Xinhua) -- SOLAR, a Chinese container ship with a capacity of 21,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit), arrived on Saturday at the CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal of Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal, built and operated by China's COSCO Shipping Ports Limited (CSP) and Abu Dhabi Ports, has a design capacity of 2.5 million TEU.
Another Chinese container ship, PISCES, also with a capacity of 21,000 TEU, arrived on May 5 at the same terminal.
The two ships are the largest vessels that the Khalifa Port has received since it started trial operations on April 20 following the arrival of CSCL Mercury, a Chinese container ship with a capacity of 14,000 TEU.
"The arrival of SOLAR and PISCES is a milestone for Abu Dhabi Ports and its partner CSP, which demonstrates not only our growth as a hub port in the region, but also our position as the heart of COSCO's network in the Middle East," said Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports.
"The container industry is constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency, and the use of mega-vessels to cut the cost and time," the CEO added.
"We have ensured that through CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal and Khalifa Port is able to handle the largest vessels of today and adapt to those of tomorrow," Shamisi said.
"We are excited to facilitate the arrival of two of the world's largest mega-vessels at CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal as it demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Abu Dhabi Ports," said Ju Weiping, CEO of CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal.
"The terminal has been built to accommodate the evolution of trade in an increasingly competitive global economy, applying the latest port technologies to improve efficiencies, reduce time, and ultimately deliver a competitive edge to our customers," Ju added.
Abu Dhabi Ports is the operator and manager of the Abu Dhabi's commercial and community ports, as well as Khalifa Industrial Zone.
The CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal, which was inaugurated in December 2018, connects Khalifa Port to CSP's global terminals, covering 285 berths at 37 ports worldwide.
