NC Ports expands container services

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — North Carolina Ports will soon be further expanding of its container services with the addition of StreamLines.

StreamLines, a division of Seatrade, is known for its specialized refrigerated container operations, reliable schedules and speed to market. The container carrier recently added the Port of Wilmington to its Blue Stream weekly service and will begin calling the port in June.

Executive Director Paul J. Cozza said agriculture exports are critical to our region’s economy and this service, along with other recent service additions, will continue to allow our farmers to use their natural gateway – North Carolina Ports.

The service features ships with high reefer container intake and has become an important transportation link for perishable shippers moving seasonal and year-round product from Central America to the United States and Europe and from the southeastern United States to Europe.

StreamLines General Manager Pablo Gonzalez says the addition of the Port of Wilmington to the rotation allows StreamLines the opportunity to service North Carolina’s important and ever growing sweet potato export market.

The “Georgia Trader” is scheduled to load at the Port of Wilmington on June 5, 2017 and will be the first vessel on this string to call North Carolina Ports. StreamLines will provide regional exporters with one of the industry’s fastest and most direct services to the U.K. and continental Europe. Loading each Monday in Wilmington, the service will provide 9-day transit to Tilbury, 10-day transit to Rotterdam and 11 days to Le Havre.

The StreamLines addition is the fourth container service announcement at the Port of Wilmington in the last three months.

To prepare for this growth, North Carolina Ports has ordered two New Panamax ship-to-shore cranes with an option to purchase two more from designer Shanghai Zhenjua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (ZPMC). Between the new cranes, turning basin expansion project, various berth improvements, and the expansion of the container yard, North Carolina Ports will pump over $150 million into its infrastructure over the next few years. These investments, along with the operational efficiencies associated with North Carolina Ports, have led, in part, to recent service additions at the Port of Wilmington.

Similar to other recent service announcements at North Carolina Ports, the StreamLines’ Blue Stream container service could also attract more agricultural exports through the Port of Wilmington Cold Storage (PWCS) facility.

The demand for sweet potatoes in Europe is particularly high and it is anticipated that the new Blue Stream container service, dovetailed with the capabilities of the PWCS facility, will give North Carolina farmers the opportunity to significantly grow their export business to Europe through North Carolina Ports. On the import side, new refrigerated services in this corridor will also support cargo movements for North Carolina’s emerging grocery sector. The fruits and vegetables brought in via StreamLines will result in the expansion of cold chain models servicing the southeastern United States directly through Wilmington.