On 19 July, PSA Panama set a record number of moves in a single call with the arrival of MSC Anchorage, almost doubling a previously set record of 2,700 moves to 5,154 moves for a single call. Over 30 per cent of the containers moved were reefers.

MSC Anchorage – with a total capacity of 8,800 TEUs – is part of a weekly service route between North Europe and the West Coast of South America, making calls at ports like PSA Antwerp, PSA Sines and Sociedad Puerto Industrial Aguadulce (SPIA).

Good teamwork was paramount in achieving a smooth and successful operation during the vessel’s stay at PSA Panama. As part of the efforts to achieve this record and with safety as a cornerstone of the operation, the PSA Panama operations team resolutely planned the execution in great detail and worked closely with the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) vessel planners and local team. The result of this was 6 quay cranes working hand in hand to complete the operation, eventually achieving approximate crane productivity of 28 moves per hour.

In the first half of 2020, PSA Panama’s volumes grew by 34 per cent, which can partially be attributed to a strong fruit harvest and increased demand for reefers in Latin America. In June 2020, PSA Panama also managed to secure the members of THE ALLIANCE and X-Press Feeders to bring 5 additional weekly calls, positioning PSA Panama for further growth.

With safety topmost in everyone’s minds, it is heartening to see PSA Panama achieve this outstanding record despite the challenging circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.