The first ship associated with the new Grand Alliance service at the Port of Tacoma has officially docked at Washington United Terminals.
The July 2 call by Hapag-Lloyd’s Dusseldorf Express was the first of three new calls each week at the terminal as result of the new Grand Alliance business announced in March.
Port, terminal and shipping line officials celebrated the maiden ship call with a plaque presentation before crews began unloading and reloading the ship.
The Grand Alliance is a consortium of three of the world’s largest shipping lines, Germany-based Hapag-Lloyd, Orient Overseas Container Line of Hong Kong and Japanese company NYK Line, along with associated carrier ZIM Integrated Shipping of Israel.
The associated services will connect Tacoma to Europe and Central and South America, as well as Asia.
Washington United Terminals is a 105-acre container terminal on the Blair Waterway that has four post-Panamax and two super-post-Panamax cranes capable of handling the world’s largest ships, 51-foot water depth, on-dock rail and a newly extended 2,600 foot berth.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
