CMA CGM finds NEMO a new home in Tauranga
French carrier CMA CGM has decided to relocate from Auckland to Tauranga on its meandering 23-port New Europe Mascarene Oceania (NEMO) service.
The New Zealand port said the move will add 52 extra vessel calls per year. “CMA CGM has recognized the Port of Tauranga as a major North Island distribution hub, serving the Auckland market through a unique rail partnership with a rail linked inland terminal (MetroPort Auckland) in the center of Auckland’s manufacturing and distribution centers,” said Port of Tauranga Chief Executive Mark Cairns.
The first vessel to call at Tauranga on the NEMO will be the 2,824-TEU CMA CGM Galilee on March 26-27.
The NEMO service started in March 2007, initially on a fortnightly basis before upgrading to weekly a few months later. CMA CGM subsidiaries Delmas and ANL have space on the loop, while Germany's Deutsche Afrika Linien contributes tonnage. The service operates with 12 ships in the 2,500-TEU to 3,000-TEU range, and will have a revised port rotation of Tilbury, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Fos, La Spezia, Damietta, Pointe des Galets, Port Louis, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Tauranga, Lyttelton, Melbourne, Adelaide, Jakarta, Port Kelang, Chennai, Colombo, Damietta, Malta, La Spezia and finally back to Tilbury.