Come into Port of Tanjung Pelepas

Since operations started in 1999, Port of Tanjung Pelepas has handled over 14 million 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, an achievement which not only earned of the Year” award but saw it established as the country’s No.1 port operator.

Constructed during the Asian economic crisis, the project, which was completed on time and under budget, has since become the pinnacle for development of Malaysia’s southern gateway, as the Government plans to establish an international logistics hub in southern Johor.

PTP’s location at the confluence of the world’s international shipping lanes in the mouth of the deep and sheltered Pulai River southwest Johor presented a similar geographical advantage that was previously held by PSA port of Singapore.

Five years into operations, PTP has established itself as one of top 20 ports in the world, and has reigned as the nation’s No.1 port operator for three years running. Two main line operators hub at PTP: Maersk Sealand and Evergreen Marine Feeder vessels services totaling about 70 direct services weekly from PTP.

Growth has been synonymous with the port, with PTP again setting a new throughput record for its first five months of 1,726,219.50 20-foot equivalents units (TEU), the highest ever volume recorded in the first five months of the financial year.

The port recently received calls from two new Evergreen vessels of 8,100 TEU capacity, the biggest vessels in service.

The port can receive these vessels due to the advanced design of the berths at the port, which have a draft of up to 19m deep alongside.

Construction of the port was made with future vessels in mind, so PTP can receive vessels of up to 250,00. dwt. With Phase II of the port development programme underway, the port is set to take on new challenges, as well as new customers.

Land reclamation for an additional eight berths (2.8km) has been completed.

Two of the Phase II berths were built in mid-2004, adding to the original six berths in Phase I.

The two new berths are then supported by a new container yard. Which was completed in March. The new container yard has given PTP a new capacity of 154,000 TEU and almost 6 million TEUs annually.

The two berths in phase II are waiting for three new quay cranes being built in Lumut, Perak and are due for delivery in early 2006.

These two new berths handle project cargoes, mainly conventional cargo used for the construction of the RM7.8 billion coal fired power plant being constructed in Tanjung Bin across the Pulai River from the port.

Adding to this, PTP has awarded the contract for the construction of berths 9 & 10 in Phase II. The expansion is scheduled to begin soon and will take between 12 and 15 months to be completed.

The port has also acted as a catalyst for the development of southern Johor as an international logistics hub.

The plan us to link global and local suppliers through the seaport, airport, highways and railway infrastructure in Johor, which form a complete transport cluster connected to factories and retailers in Southeast Asia.

To support this development plan, PTP is developing its hinterland into a comprehensive free zone area a known as Pelepas Free Zone, servicing multi industries such as manufacturing, commercial and halal-product processing.

The free zone offers 40ha with good multi-modal connectivity infrastructure by land, sea, air and rail to anywhere in the world.

Among the main attractions of the Pelepas Free Zone (PFZ) Is the establishment of a halal distribution hub on thr premises of the port to enable international exporters, procedures and traders to take tap into the potential of the global halal market.

PTP has developed PFZ International Halal Distribution Hub with support from government agencies.

The hub is designated zone with in 16ha of PFZ land and will focus on activities involving regional and international distribution of halal products.

It will centralize all infrastructure and physical facilities for manufacturing, storage, consolidation, procurement, distribution, export and trading activities of halal products such as food, fertilizers, pharmaceutical products and toiletries.

The hub will have services and facilities such as a one-stop service to provide and accreditation process and issuance of halal logo, accreditation of HACCP certifications in compliance with global standards.

Incentives will be given to companies involved in manufacturing storage, consolidation, procurement, distribution, export and trading activities of halal products and also to companies involved in the construction of infrastructure and physical facilities used for activities involving halal products.

The concept of the hub will involve international procedures, exporters and traders consolidating their raw-material, semi-finished or finished products at the zone for the regional and international distribution.

The products will endure processing, manufacturing or other value-added activities as well as acquiring certification before re-export to final destinations.