Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines (WWL), which operates a worldwide network of regular ocean-going transportation services and is especially renowned for carrying vehicles, has announced a new service linking Far East states to the Middle East.

Under the new flexible cargo service, which runs through Singapore, a vessel calls at Singapore, Laem Cha-bang, Hong Kong, Keelung, Shanghai, Tianjin, Inchon, Masan, Kobe, Osaka, Yokohama, Dubai and Dammam with the opportunity for additional inducement calls to ports in Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan before returning to Singapore and continuing intra-Asia

The vessels operating on this line have the flexibility to carry ro-ro, project and general cargo in containers, as well as the ability to offer a non-containerised service where required.

Barwil Dubai Shipping LLC is the local agent for Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines.

Every year WWL transports great varieties of cargoes and volumes including 305-tonne turbines, mining and construction machinery, giant helicopters and Olympic racing yachts.

WWL transports nearly two million vehicles every year and is acknowledged as a leader in vehicle ro-ro solutions. The company is said to have pioneered the designs that led to today's state-of-the-art pure-car truck carriers (PCTC) and roll-on roll-off vessels.

"Today we are moving from specialisation to flexibility to gain the best for our customers, without compromise. This has resulted in a 60-strong fleet that can handle all types of cargo - container, static load or roll-on roll-off," a company statement said.

The company's PCTCs are capable of carrying up to 6,000 cars on 13 decks and feature as many as six movable decks that can be raised to accommodate high and heavy cargo such as trucks, buses, tractors and bulldozers. This also allows the company to transport special cargoes carried on roll trailers supplied by Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

Ramp capacity on these vessels is 200 tonnes, maximum heights of loads 6.5m and maximum load per sq m three tonnes.

"The company's ro-ro carriers represent the latest development in maritime design, with a capacity of up to 5,500 cars. For greater stowage flexibility, in addition to cars, these vessels are capable of carrying ro-ro cargo, as well as project and heavy-lift cargoes. With a maximum load of up to 10 tonnes per sq m, the six decks can accommodate high and heavy and special cargo," WWL said. Ramp capacity is up to 320 tonnes, maximum cargo height is 6.4m and maximum width is 12m.

Designed to carry ro-ro and static cargoes of any size, shape or weight, the vessels also boast a capacity of up to 1450teu containers on the weather deck. They are also able to carry the largest loads in the fleet, with a ramp capacity or up to 420 tonnes. Most cargo can also be loaded to full height on all cargo decks.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen owns and operates terminals in Europe and the USA. Its Zeebrugge Euro terminal, Belgium, covers 100 acres, is fully lit, fenced and guarded, and has the capacity to store and handle up to 22,000 vehicles or other types of cargo. The company also offers PDI services at an adjacent centre. Zeebrugge is a key European automotive import and export port. The terminal is well equipped and has two mobile cranes able to handle up to 80 tonnes.

The company's Hamina terminal, Finland, is situated in the southeast of the country, close to the Russian border. The terminal primarily handles the distribution of vehicles or other cargo to Russia. Up to 1,000 cars can be stored there.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen's mid-Atlantic terminal in Baltimore, USA, is the nearest Atlantic entry/exit port to Chicago, the centre of the US Midwest marketplace, and offers good access to the prime consumer and manufacturing markets of the U.S Northeast.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen also has its own terminals in the US cities of Brunswick, Jacksonville, Galveston and Port Hueneme and dedicated terminal space for handling and storage in the ports of Baltimore, Savannah and Long Beach.