Malta Freeport Terminals CEO says mega containership feat needed a ‘great deal of planning and skill’

CEO Alex Montebello has commended the team at Malta Freeport Terminals for managing to oversee 14,600 moves on the CMA CGM mega containership Palais Royal.

The feat, a record-breaking one for the facility, saw the LNG-powered, 400-metre-long vessel, sail into Malta Freeport on 6th December. The Palais Royal, built in 2020 and capable of carrying 23,000 TEU containers, incorporates many advanced features in propulsion hull and operational designs in a bid to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

The vessel is currently on its way to Marseille, the headquarters of CMA CGM Group, the third largest shipping line in the world and also one of Malta Freeport’s shareholders.

Mr Montebello said: “I am immensely proud of my colleagues for pulling off this feat, which required a great deal of planning, skill, commitment, and determination.”

“This achievement is a testament to the freeport’s ability to handle the world’s largest container vessels with extreme care and maximum efficiency,” he continued.

He concluded by thanking CMA CGM for entrusting Malta Freeport with the mission.

Malta Freeport Terminals invested more than €320 million in infrastructure, new equipment, and technology in recent years, and offers services to 115 ports worldwide, more than 50 of which are in the Mediterranean. Its services are provided on 15 mainline services and various feeder routes operates by major shipping lines.