The Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Service Enterprise is undertaking a study on potential new routes to deploy its new ships.

The enterprise decided to service more destinations after taking charge of nine new vessels it had on order in China, said Alemu Ambaye, Chief Engineer, Deputy Chief Executive of the ELSE. The nine ships are one multipurpose cargo and oil tanker vessel from the total of its nine vessels, two tankers and seven multipurpose cargo vessels he said.

The carrier is currently focusing on routes to Asia using arrangements with other shipping lines to serve import and export business in other parts of the world.

ESLSE expects to announce its new destinations after the study is fully completed according to Alemu. The shipping lines may commence its previous operations on European routes on the basis of the study or opt to travel to destinations it had never travelled to before he explained.

In related news ESLSE is asking importers to collect their containers on time to alleviate congestion at the dry ports in Ethiopia.

The congestion is becoming a problem for the implementation of the new Multi-modal Transport System according to Ahmed Tusa, Chief Executive of the ESLSE.

The system is being implemented but the problem is collecting containers accumulated at Port Djibouti.

The Enterprise has been forced to construct a terminal of Bekelcha Transport S.C. located in Adama that has the capacity to store 9300 containers because of the congestion.

Containers from Djibouti will be handled at Bekelcha beginning this week according to Ahmed.

Source: Capital