World’s largest auto ship makes maiden call at Port of Tacoma

posted by AJOT | Dec 09 2007 at 07:00 PM | Liner Shipping

The Port of Tacoma Commission and staff welcomed the crew of the Wallenius Lines M/V Fidelio to Terminal 7 on the vessel's maiden voyage.

While typical auto ships visiting the Port of Tacoma are 3,000 to 4,000 ceus (car equivalent unit) in size, the Fidelio is 8,000 ceus ' the largest in the industry.

"It is very exciting to have Wallenius' newest vessel here in Tacoma," said Port of Tacoma Commissioner Clare Petrich, who was on-hand to present the vessel's crew with a plaque commemorating their maiden call at the Port. "As our Port's breakbulk cargo and auto volumes continue to grow, it is wonderful to see our customers making substantial investments like this in their business. We are proud to host the Fidelio and proud to have Wallenius as our customer."

The Fidelio was christened in Yokohama, Japan on September 20. Its maiden voyage started in Gothenburg, Sweden on October 30. On its way to the Port of Tacoma, it has stopped at ports in Germany, Belgium, England, Nova Scotia and California.

After off-loading a mix of construction and heavy equipment at the Port of Tacoma, the Fidelio will load an export cargo of construction equipment, agricultural equipment and private automobiles and sail on to Yokohama, Japan.

The latest addition to the Wallenius fleet, the LCTC (large car truck carrier) Fidelio is designed to handle both autos and breakbulk cargoes (heavy equipment, construction machinery, agricultural equipment and other rolling stock).

The Fidelio is the second in a series of seven to be built at Daewoo Shipyard and Marine Engineering in Korea. The first, M/V Faust, was delivered to Wallenius in May 2007.

Built with the environment as a top priority, the Fidelio is equipped with a state-of-the-art technology in ship design and environmentally friendly alternatives. For example, the vessel is equipped with PureBallast, the world's first IMO-approved Ballast Water Treatment system.

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