COASTAL shipping company Consort Express Lines, the largest in Papua New Guinea, has expanded its fleet with the acquisition of a new cargo vessel.
Consort purchased the 90-metre-long Kimbe Chief along with another barge and 1000 new shipping containers.
Kimbe Chief will be deployed on Consort’s weekly Lae-Kimbe-Lae Niugini Islands route. It has its own crane and “generous capacity” for cargo.
Thomas Bellamy, chief operating officer of Steamships (which owns Consort) said the company purchased the vessel to better service the importers, exporters and communities who rely on the route.
“Having one of our vessels solely dedicated to the route enables Consort to provide a more reliable and efficient service,” Mr Bellamy said.
He said the addition of the new vessel will free up other vessels that previously serviced the route and minimise the impact of any unanticipated maintenance issues with Consort’s wider fleet.
“We’re now more favourably positioned to not only provide an enhanced service between Lae and Kimbe, but better services across all routes,” Mr Bellamy said.
“Furthermore, the expanded fleet has increased our charter project capabilities, which is particularly important for some of our biggest customers, including those in mining, as well as oil and gas.”
He said the company’s investment in the barge and extra containers, including high-cube reefers and 20-foot and 40-foot dry containers, is important for service capability as well as safety.
“Aging logistics infrastructure and equipment poses all sorts of potential risks when it comes to workplace safety, as well as environmental safety.
“At Consort our primary goal is to provide a 100% safe service which includes proactively replacing assets prior to them having any capacity to compromise safety.”
Consort said its shipping services are vital to the health and development of communities around Papua New Guinea.
It has been transporting essential goods such as food, medicine, building materials and agricultural supplies to communities for more than 40 years.
