First vessel call at HHLA PLT Italy

The M/S Ulusoy 14 is a RoRo ferry of the shipping company Ulusoy Sealines, based in Turkey with a longstanding experience in servicing the Mediterranean, represented in Italy by the General Agent Samer & Co. Shipping. The vessel operates in regular liner service between Cesme, located west of Izmir in Turkey, and the Adriatic seaport of Trieste. In future, Ulusoy Sealines will call at the HHLA PLT Italy terminal every Saturday to discharge and load trucks, trailers and swap body containers. The ship has a length of 208 metres and a capacity of 4,100 lane metres. A new 35-metre-wide ramp specially built for RoRo handling is available at HHLA PLT Italy able to handle the newest generation of RoRo ships deployed in the Mediterranean.

Philip Sweens, Managing Director of HHLA International: “I’m delighted to have Ulusoy Sealines as our launch customer for our new Adriatic terminal. Together with our Italian partners and a highly motivated team, HHLA has worked intensively in recent months to successfully begin operations at HHLA PLT Italy. I would like to thank the Port Authority of Trieste as well as all other involved authorities for their support and contribution to making this first call a reality.”

Mesut Cesur, General Manager Ulusoy Sealines Management SA: "We congratulate HHLA for their investment in HHLA PLT İtaly terminal in Trieste and commencing their terminal services with M/S Ulusoy 14 as the first vessel. We are proud to have the honour of being the first ship-owner to use the PLT terminal under the management of HHLA whom we consider as worldwide well-known top experienced terminal and port operators. We wish the best of success to HHLA both in our mutual cooperation and in their future running of their new venture in Italy with the PLT terminal. In the meantime we would like to express our sincere thanks to the Trieste Port Authority and our business partner Samer & Co. for their utmost efforts and cooperation for the commencement of operations in the PLT Terminal in a short period."

In March, Antonio Barbara assumed the management of the new HHLA PLT Italy terminal in Trieste. The 46-year-old with dual Italian and Turkish nationalities has more than 20 years of experience in leadership positions within the port industry. Furthermore, his previous professional positions have allowed him to build an excellent network in the maritime industry of the Mediter-ranean region. Antonio Barbara previously worked as managing director and held leadership roles at terminal operating companies in Genoa and Salerno (Italy) as well as Gemlik (Turkey).

“We are delighted to have Antonio Barbara as an accomplished and experienced manager for the new HHLA terminal in Trieste. He is the perfect fit for our team thanks to his in depth expertise in the management and development of multipurpose terminal facilities in Italy as well as abroad,” says Sweens, Managing Director of HHLA International, who is responsible for the international business of the Hamburg-based Group. “I wish him every success in his new position and look forward to working with him.”