Hyundai Merchant Marine, a major South Korean shipping line, is launching a new container service connecting the Port of Mombasa in Kenya to India via the Nhava Sheva port. The service, set to begin next month, will deploy a weekly vessel with an initial capacity of 2,500 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). This development aims to enhance maritime connectivity between Asia and East Africa.
The new service will operate as a consortium involving six slot partners: HMM, PIL, Cosco, ONE, OOCL, and Inchcape Shipping. This strategic partnership seeks to combine large-capacity container vessels for long-distance routes with a network of feeder ships that distribute cargo among regional markets. This move comes after InterAsia Lines launched a new weekly service at the Port of Mombasa last month.
The Port of Mombasa is a critical maritime gateway to East and Central Africa, serving over 80 global ports and a vast landlocked hinterland. It connects millions of people and acts as the starting point of the Northern Corridor, linking Kenya's coast to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan. Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has been investing in port infrastructure expansion and modernization to facilitate regional and international trade.
KPA Chief Executive Officer Capt. William Ruto welcomed the new service, affirming the growing profile of the Port of Mombasa as a regional transshipment and logistics hub. He stated that the port serves a vast hinterland of over 250 million people and has a capacity of 2.65 million TEUs. The port's modernization initiative includes digital automation, electronic document management, and real-time reporting.
Jang Wonjun, Senior Vice President at HMM, attributed the company's entry into Kenya to the strategic position of the Port of Mombasa as a regional hub. HMM ranks among the world's top 10 container carriers, operating over 70 vessels with 800,000 TEU capacity. The new sea route, named Gulf-India-East Africa Service (GIA), will start from Nhava Sheva port.
A delegation from HMM commended the progress achieved at the Port of Mombasa and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to learn about its operations. They toured key infrastructure projects, gaining insight into KPA's strategic investments to expand capacity and support regional trade and economic growth. The team looks forward to a successful maiden voyage and future HMM services at Mombasa.
KPA has lauded the long-standing cooperation between Kenya and Japan, describing it as a key driver for supporting port infrastructure growth and development. The Authority has greatly benefited from collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has played a leading role in ensuring the Port of Mombasa maintains its competitive edge through infrastructure developments.
Key points
- Hyundai Merchant Marine to launch new container service from Mombasa to India with a weekly vessel capacity of 2,500 TEUs.
- The new service aims to enhance maritime connectivity between Asia and East Africa.
- The Port of Mombasa serves a vast hinterland of over 250 million people and has a capacity of 2.65 million TEUs.
