The ANL Kokoda (IMO 9516765) will be the first vessel in the pilot programme for the Australian Strategic Fleet.
The ship is a 2011-delivered vessel, built by CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding and, at the time of the writing of this article, is reported by French beneficial owner, CMA CGM to be a Malta-flagged and Singapore-operated vessel. The geared ship is classed by Det Norske Veritas and has a nominal TEU capacity of 1,740 TEU, with 300 reefer points. It has a summer deadweight (a measure of total weight bearing capacity) of 23,214 deadweight, and a summer draught of 10.91 metres. The vessel has a length overall of just over 175 m, and a beam of 27.4, and a gross tonnage (a measure of internal volume, not weight) of 18,358 gross tons.
The Hon. Catherine King MP, Australia’s Federal Minister for Transport, commented, “this is an incredible chapter in Australia’s maritime history with the first vessel being announced in Australia’s Strategic Fleet. Recent global events have emphasised the importance of Australia having a resilient domestic maritime sector. The ANL Kokoda will provide critical maritime capabilities, including by adding a new tool to be able to respond to disruption events.”
A statement from the Minister’s office adds that the vessel will be available to Australian Government agencies to requisition in times of need, emergency or crises, such as natural disasters and supply chain disruptions.
As part of the five year pilot, the vessel will become Australian-flagged and crewed and it is hoped that the programme will help build Australia’s sovereign maritime workforce.
Shipping Australia CEO Capt Melwyn Noronha noted the announcement that the ANL Kokoda will be the first vessel entered into the Australian maritime strategic fleet.
“We congratulate the CMA CGM group, the Marseille, France-based company for entering a vessel into the fleet and we wish and hope for every success for them in the future in this venture,” he said.
In relation to the policy itself, Shipping Australia has a long-standing opposition to the strategic fleet programme generally. This is an opinion we have expressed repeatedly and at length, based on the Australian experience of similar and related programmes in the past that have not had optimal outcomes. Unlike certain other people, we’ve not changed our position, and we’re upfront about that.
Now that the Strategic fleet is here, only time will tell if this particular version of a subsidised national fleet will be optimal in the future.
