Port of Montreal welcomes Hapag-Lloyd's Quebec Express on its first call to Montreal

MONTREAL, Dec. 16, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Port of Montreal is extremely pleased to welcome Hapag-Lloyd's Quebec Express on its inaugural call to Montreal.

To mark the occasion, Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority and Tony Boemi, Vice-President, Growth and Development, presented a painting to Captain Markus Droste, master of the Quebec Express, at a special ceremony held today.

Hapag-Lloyd, the leading container shipping line by volume serving the Canadian market, has added the 4,045-TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) Quebec Express as the fourth vessel on its weekly St. Lawrence Coordinated Service 2 (AT2), which connects Montreal with Southampton, United Kingdom; Antwerp, Belgium; and Hamburg, Germany. The vessel arrived in Montreal on December 14 at Cast Terminal, operated by Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership.

Previously known as the Longavi, the vessel has been renamed for the Province of Quebec as part of Hapag-Lloyd's tradition of naming ships after the markets it serves.

"We are extremely pleased that our long-time partner Hapag-Lloyd has added this fourth vessel to its AT2 service," Ms. Vachon said. "This ship further solidifies Hapag-Lloyd's service reliability and its commitment to the Port of Montreal.

By the same token, the vessel's new name tips its hat to the first-ever Quebec Maritime Strategy. The timing could not be more perfect given the provincial government's commitment to support the marine industry with more than $1.5 billion in investments and sustainably develop the marine economy."

"We are confident that the Port of Montreal and Hapag-Lloyd will continue to flourish in the years to come in tandem with the Maritime Strategy", added Ms. Vachon.

"The vessel name was chosen to show our close dedication to this trade," said Wolfgang Schoch, Hapag-Lloyd's Managing Director for Canada. "Hapag-Lloyd has a longstanding tie to the Province of Quebec and the Montreal Gateway. Our naming of the ship shows our long-term determination to be a relevant player in this trade. We are also very pleased that the Province of Quebec has dedicated a serious push to its new Maritime Strategy, which to us is an important step in the right direction."

Built in 2006, the Quebec Express is 267 metres long and 32 metres wide. It has been sailing the German flag since the end of September.

About the Port of Montreal

Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is a major diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods – containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. It is a leading container port served by the largest container shipping lines in the world.

The Port of Montreal handled 1,402,393 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2014, representing 12,575,069 tonnes of cargo. The port also handled 9,246,741 tonnes of liquid bulk, 8,433,434 tonnes of dry bulk including 2,638,159 tonnes of grain in 2014. Total cargo-handling volumes reached 30,445,984 million tonnes in 2014.

The Port of Montreal has its own rail network directly dockside. It is connected to the two national rail networks and a highway system. The port operates a passenger terminal that welcomed 71,044 passengers and crew members in 2014. All other terminals are run by private stevedoring firms.

Port activity supports 16,000 jobs and generates $2.1 billion in economic spin-offs annually.

SOURCE PORT OF MONTREAL

Mélanie Nadeau, Director of Communications, [email protected], Telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone], www.port-montreal.com