SWIRE Projects has introduced a service connecting Western Australia with ports in Asia.

The Western Australia Express (WAX) service is a monthly semi liner shipping service which calls major ports in WA (including in the Pilbara), China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and around South East Asia.

Swire Projects designed the WAX service for breakbulk and project cargo, but said the multipurpose heavy-lift vessels on the service can carry a range of cargo types, including traditional bulk cargoes.

The vessels are I-Type vessels (19,638 DWT) and E/F-Type vessels (12,744 DWT), which have lifting capacities of 2 x 240 tons and 2 x 120/150 tons, respectively.

Swire Projects said the service would offer reliable departures and arrivals, dedicated base ports and the option to include additional ports as needed.

“We have held a keen focus on the Western Australian region as we endeavoured to better serve the businesses there,” Swire Projects general manager Namir Khanbabi said.

“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.”

Also, 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.

Swire said the WAX and NWD services would operate in tandem to provide increased frequency, greater port coverage and schedule reliability.