APM Terminals awarded Bahrain concession

APM Terminals awarded Bahrain concession    The Bahrain government has awarded a 25-year concession agreement to APM Terminals Bahrain, a joint venture between the A.P. Moller-Maersk terminals unit and YBA Kanoo Holdings of Bahrain, for the operation of Mina Salman and then Khalifa bin Salman Port.
   Initially, APM will handle import, export and transshipment cargo at Mina Salman. But the concession will only start when construction of Khalifa bin Salman Port is completed, anticipated by late-2008. APM said they have not been told by the Bahrain authorities what will happen with Mina Salman after that point.
   Khalifa bin Salman Port will have about 900,000 square meters of land and a quay wall of 1.8 kilometers in length with a draft alongside of 15 meters, allowing it to handle post-Panamax vessels. APM will provide the operational equipment including four post-Panamax gantry crane and a rubber-tire gantry container management system.
   In addition to the concession agreement, APM will manage pilotage services for Bahrain’s territorial waters, except the Dry Dock at ASRY, through its sister company, SvitzerWijsmuller.
   “With efficient operations, fast turnaround times for vessels and short transit times, Bahrain will be an ideal location for carriers to transship containers for all destinations in the Upper Gulf,” APM said.