Danish container shipping giant Maersk Line has decided to resume its weekly container shipping service to Wellington, New Zealand.

The service will return once CentrePort, Wellington port operator, has completed works that will allow its ship-to-shore cranes to operate.

These works were required following damage sustained in the November 2016 Kaikoura earthquake which made the port’s gantry cranes inoperable. They are expected to be largely complete by September.

Jens Maersk, deployed on Maersk Line’s Northern Star service and capable of carrying 3,000 TEUs, is scheduled to make its first call at CentrePort on September 18.

Gerard Morrison, Maersk Line Oceania’s Managing Director, applauded CentrePort’s efforts to complete the structural repairs needed to become fully operational again.

“CentrePort has kept us fully informed of its progress over the last nine months and we are very pleased to return to Wellington with our weekly Northern Star service,” Morrison commented.

Derek Nind, CentrePort Chief Executive, welcomed the return of Maersk: “We look forward to working with Maersk in the future as we resume our strong growth in container shipping volumes.”

Maersk Line’s Northern Star service deploys six 3,000 TEU vessels. The service makes six weekly port calls around New Zealand each week.

Earlier this year, regular container shipping returned to Wellington, with weekly visits by a geared ship linking the port with Australia.