Newly appointed Tourism Minister Hon. Julia Farrugia Portelli praised the significant investment made by Malta Freeport Terminals during her first visit to the Freeport since assuming responsibility for Malta Freeport Corporation. Malta Freeport Terminals recently invested €31 million in 15 Kone Rubber-Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGs) which are safer and faster to operate as well as in other yard equipment, including 67 new tractors and trailers, and additional refrigerated storage facilities known as reefers. Last year was significant for the Freeport, which received one of the world’s largest ships, the ‘CMA CGM JEAN MERMOZ’ which is capable of carrying 20,954 TEUs, as well as the first LNG-powered container vessel to visit Malta ‘mv Containerships Polar’ to visit Malta which reduces sulphur oxide emissions by 90-95 per cent.
Malta Freeport Terminals handled over 2.7 million TEUs last year, despite operating in highly competitive and challenging conditions, and currently provides network links to over 100 ports around the world, 50 of which are in the Mediterranean. Almost 2,000 ships called at the facility in 2019.