The first container vessel to call at Rize Port was the Esra A, operated by Arkas Line, and Arkas Shipping was the first company to bring container service to this location.

Arkas Shipping and Arkas Line partnered together to initiate the first container service to Rize Port, which is increasing its cargo volume every year and which has significant potential for the future. After Arkas Line added Rize to the service it provides in the Black Sea, the vessel Esra A made its first call at Rize Port on December 16th. After the first container vessel docked at Rize, the port’s president, Seyfettin Ceylan, emphasized the potential for the future by saying, “Container transport revolutionized sea transport and it is rapidly developing because it is faster, less expensive, safer and reduces losses. For these reasons, we are starting up new container lines at our port. The Channel Europe Project connects the North Sea and European channel cities to the Black Sea. The Baltic Sea is also connected to Odessa Port via train, and transit freight is shipped through Turkey. When the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia and the Ovit Tunnel (known as the Rize - Mardin - Hicaz route) projects are finished, our port will be strategically positioned to handle transit sea freight, making us a hub for the logistics market in the upcoming years.” The 1,022 TEU Esra A called at the port twice in 2011 and will also dock here in January.

Travelling on the route Poti-Rize-Samsun-Ambarlı (Istanbul), the vessel’s first stop consisted of taking on a load of concentrated copper and zinc produced at the Cayeli Copper Operations that was being exported to China. Arkas Shipping provides feeder service on this operation, transporting products on its Istanbul-Black Sea line by loading Black Sea cargo onto containers to be transported via lines calling in Istanbul. These containers are then sent to China via other shipping lines. This service provides the advantage of safe and economical transportation with containers not only for customers exporting from Rize but also for customers shipping domestic freight between Istanbul and Rize.