On December 15th, the inauguration ceremony for the trial operation of the Red Sea No.1 Container Terminal at Egypt's Sokhna Port was successfully held. The terminal is operated by an international consortium consisting of China COSCO Shipping Ports, Hutchison Ports, and the French shipping group CMA CGM, and it is a significant project for Egypt in advancing port modernization and establishing a regional and international logistics center, adding a new cooperative benchmark to the China-Egypt joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. On the day of the trial operation ceremony, the container ship "CMA CGM HELIUM" successfully docked, marking the substantial operational capacity of the Red Sea No.1 Container Terminal.

Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamal El-Wazir, along with Walid Jamaleddine, Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone, and several other Egyptian officials attended the trial operation ceremony, witnessing the process of the first vessel docking at the terminal to unload containers.

El-Wazir stated that the operation of the terminal will significantly enhance Sokhna Port's appeal to global major shipping companies, further consolidating Egypt's pivotal position in the global supply chain and international transit system. In the future, direct shipping services and comprehensive transportation solutions related to the terminal will be opened to boost Egypt's exports.

The container terminal, Egypt's largest, has a quay length of 2,600 meters and a total area of 1.6 million square meters. Equipped with 6 super-post-Panamax quay cranes and 18 automated stacking cranes, the terminal can accommodate vessels up to 400 meters in length. The terminal is the first to utilize fully automated technology, enabling real-time scheduling and logistics visualization of the entire container process through remote operation of the lifting equipment from a central control room, and it incorporates green low-carbon technologies to improve operational efficiency while effectively reducing emissions.

The Red Sea No.1 Container Terminal plays a central role in the overall development of Sokhna Port and serves as a key node in the Sokhna-Alexandria Port comprehensive logistics corridor, with a vital mission of connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The project aims to create an international hub port, significantly increase Egypt's market share in global container transit trade, help Egypt explore new export markets, establish intermodal transportation by connecting with railways to reduce overall logistics costs, and enhance the competitiveness of domestic industries.

The international consortium involved in the operation boasts strong capabilities, with all three members being core players in the global shipping and port sectors. The cooperation between China COSCO Shipping Ports, Hutchison Ports, and the French shipping group CMA CGM demonstrates high international recognition of Egypt's port strategy, location advantages, and business environment, providing a high-quality example for Chinese companies to deepen overseas cooperation in port operations, shipping services, equipment manufacturing, digital ports, and other areas.

Industry experts note that the trial operation of the Red Sea No.1 Container Terminal signifies a significant achievement in the upgrade of Egypt's port infrastructure, further highlighting Egypt's strategic value as a logistics node connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe. With the steady progress of the project, Chinese companies like China COSCO Shipping Ports will continue to leverage their strengths to inject new energy into building a more efficient global supply chain network and deepening economic and trade cooperation between China and Egypt.