Singapore-based PSA Group of Terminals said that all its terminal facilities will be in full compliance with the implementation of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) when it comes into effect on 1 July 2016.
“PSA terminals will provide solutions where possible in the local context to facilitate the smooth and efficient implementation of the SOLAS amendments. Export containers arriving at PSA terminals with valid Verified Gross Mass (VGM) will be accepted in accordance with operational procedures which are in most cases familiar to our customers. For those arriving without VGM, most PSA terminals will be ready to provide a weighing service to determine VGM upon request,” the company said.
The port operator added that it would work closely with relevant stakeholders and state authorities to “ensure that the transition to 1 July 2016 will be a smooth one.”
The announcement comes on the back of the inauguration of the first four new Gooseneck quay cranes at PSA Voltri-Prà Terminal in Italy.
The new cranes are part of an investment plan worth EUR 250 million (USD 278.5 million) that is currently being rolled out. With these investments, PSA Voltri-Prà will become the only terminal operator in the North Tyrrhenian region able to serve multiple mega-vessels simultaneously, the company claims.
Specifically, the new cranes have an outreach of 53 meters or up to 25 containers wide and are equipped with the latest technology and safety devices. The second batch of four cranes is expected to arrive at the start of 2017. When the investment project is fully completed, PSA Voltri-Prà Terminal will have an annual handling capacity of two million TEU.
“With this ceremony we celebrate the start of a new era for PSA Voltri-Prà. We believe that the bold investment program we have put in place will strengthen the position of the terminal as the preferred gateway for shipping lines serving the vast hinterland of Southern and Continental Europe and beyond,” Tan Chong Meng, Group CEO of PSA International said.
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