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James Livingston, Ravensdown Agricultural Manager, left, Doug Smith, General Manager Coastal Bulk Shipping New Zealand, Captain Irakli Muradismvili and Ross Dingle, Commercial Manager Port Taranaki, were present as the Rangitata transported 2000 tonnes of superphosphate from Dunedin to New Plymouth carried, docked at Port Taranaki on Friday.
A recipient of the government’s $30 million coastal shipping booster has anchored in Port Taranaki on its maiden voyage.
The Rangitata, owned by Coastal Bulk Shipping, carried 2000 tons of superphosphate from Dunedin to Ravensdown in New Plymouth.
The ship is part of the government’s $30 million coastal shipping investment aimed at improving domestic shipping services and reducing emissions.
Rangitata’s crew had been traveling from Turkey for four months, stopping in Auckland, Napier and finally Dunedin, where they collected the superphosphate to take to Port Taranaki.
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The ship is part of the government’s $30 million investment in coastal shipping.
Transporting the fertilizer by ship, which would otherwise have required about 70 truck and trailer trips, reduced the transport’s carbon emissions by an estimated 39 tonnes, Ravensdown said.
After arriving at 5am on Friday, crews spent the day unloading the ship, which is scheduled to depart empty for Nelson on Saturday night.
In Nelson it is transferred to a New Zealand flag and a Kiwi crew takes over operations.
Ross Dingle, head of Port Taranaki’s trade department, said the arrival of the Rangitata showed there was a demand from manufacturers, producers and customers for increased coastal shipping services.
“It’s always exciting to have new customers trading through our ports with coasters which opens up opportunities for the region to trade goods with other parts of New Zealand.
“It opens up new supply routes, making New Zealand’s logistics supply chain more resilient.”
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According to Doug Smith, general manager of Coastal Bulk Shipping New Zealand, the Rangitata can carry up to 90 containers.
Capable of transporting a maximum of 2,327 tonnes, the Rangitata can carry bulk, dangerous goods and up to 90 containers, allowing her to adapt to different needs, said Doug Smith, general manager of Coastal Bulk Shipping New Zealand.
“As of this writing, we hope to be here (at Port Taranaki) on a regular monthly trip bringing cargo south.”
Ravensdown national logistics manager Ant Boyles said the company will shift product transfers from road to sea where it makes sense for the company.
“Coastal shipping gives us the opportunity to transport our products more greenhouse gas efficiently.”
It has been a year full of announcements for coastal shipping in Port Taranaki.
Move Logistics is working with the port on a quarter-ramp roll-on, roll-off service, expected to begin in 2023, as well as a monthly trans-Tasmanian vessel service that will link New Zealand’s regional ports with Tasmania and the east coast of Australia.
