Swire Projects, a projects and heavy lift shipping services division of Swire Shipping, has launched a Western Australia Express (WAX) service, a monthly semi-liner shipping service connecting major ports in China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, the rest of Southeast Asia, and Western Australia.

While specifically designed for breakbulk and project cargo, the WAX service employs Swire Projects’ multipurpose heavy lift vessels designed to carry a wide range of cargo types, including traditional bulk cargoes. These include I-Type vessels (19,638DWT) with a lifting capacity of 2×240 tons (combinable SWL 480 tons), and the E/F-Type vessels (12,744DWT) with a lifting capacity of 2×120/150 tons (combinable SWL 240/300 tons). Both vessels complement the service, emphasising operational efficiency and secure transportation for both traditional bulk cargoes and specialised project cargo.

Namir Khanbabi, General Manager of Swire Projects, said, “We have held a keen focus on the Western Australian region as we endeavoured to better serve the businesses there. The WAX service stemmed from our recognition of the need for a dependable breakbulk and project cargo shipping service connecting Asia to the Pilbara region and the wider Western Australia. We are proud of the success the WAX service has seen since its launch and we look forward to continuing to provide our customers with safe, efficient, and flexible transportation solutions to meet their various needs.”

Additionally, Swire Projects’ parent company, Swire Shipping, has upgraded its North West Australia Direct (NWD) service. The service upgrade increases the frequency of deliveries directly into Port Hedland to every 10 days, including onward connections within Port Hedland via trucking.

The two services – WAX and NWD – will operate in tandem providing increased frequency, greater port coverage, schedule reliability, supply chain robustness and mitigated risk by having multiple delivery options connecting Western Australia and the rest of the world.

With this revamped network design, Swire Shipping aims to offer end-to-end direct shipping and integrated last-mile solutions for the Western Australian region, facilitating efficient cargo management and significantly reducing carbon emissions.