Following a construction period of 21 months, the ferry ‘Mpungu’, built by Seco Marine of Entebbe for East Africa Marine Transport (EAMT) has been launched on Lake Victoria.
The vessel will now undergo a period of Lake trials before commencing service in April 2024. The Mpungu will be Lake Victoria’s first scheduled ro-ro freight vessel, addressing the need for reliable freight service to facilitate regional and international trade.
Commissioned by InfraCo Africa, part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), and regional logistics company, Grindrod, the 96m vessel has the capacity to handle up to 1,000t of containerised cargo, the equivalent of 21 trailers. EAMT has benefitted from a European Union-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund (EU-AITF) grant for market and technical studies as well as for legal and regulatory support.
Director of SECO Marine Mr Sujal said: “We are thrilled to have launched Mpungu which has been classed by Bureau Veritas, a global leader in ship classification. This is an important milestone for the vessel, the maritime industry in Uganda, and for logistics within the East African community. After 19 months of close coordination with our partners, we are nearing the final stages of construction. Upscaling and training skilled labour in Uganda has been of particular importance to us and we are delighted to witness the contribution of local talent to this project. Building on 60 years of engineering project delivery, we are proud to have constructed a vessel of this stature, the first of its kind in Uganda and the East African region.”
Nis Hammer of OSK Design said: “At OSK Design we are pleased to continue our cooperation with InfraCo Africa on this remarkable new project. Contributing to the East African regional development has, for more than three decades, been an integrated part of our culture. Newbuilding’s of this scale improve transport efficiency by shifting a significant traffic volume to the maritime corridor.”
Grindrod will operate the EAMT vessel, which will cross the lake in an anticipated time of 18h, compared with the current journey around the lake to Tanzania by congested regional roads which can take between three and four days. The fuel-efficient freight vessel will reduce CO2 equivalent emissions associated with climate change and will remove freight vehicles from the region’s congested road network.
Xolani Mbambo, CEO Grindrod said: “The ferry operation aims to provide a reliable, efficient and cost-effective solution for businesses in the region, thereby promoting trade, and contributing to economic growth. We are excited to be part of this project and confident in our operational teams’ ability to deliver excellent results in this endeavour.”
Image: Ferry ‘Mpungu’ (source: OSK Ship Design)
