South East Asia’s fastest growing port has boosted its capacity with the completion of the first two berths of Phase 2 development at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP). The berths, which total 720 metres in quayside length, can handle the next generation of container vessel – well in excess of 10,000 TEU capacity.
 
With the berths now completed, land reclamation work for the remaining six berths of Phase 2 has also been completed, enabling PTP to have a short lead time for the build-up for additional berths to respond to market demands.
 
The two new berths, which are numbered 7 and 8, will add their additional 720 metres of wharf to the existing quay length of 2.16km. The new berths have a water depth alongside of 19 metres, adequately catering for the largest planned ships which will have a length overall in excess of 400 metres. The new berths also feature 25 percent more crane loading strength of 100 tonnes per metre of rail.
 
With a new total length of 2.88 kilometres of wharf, the first two berths of Phase 2 are expected to raise the annual handling capacity at PTP from 4.5 million TEU to 6 million TEU.
 
In its aim to always prepare for the future, PTP has introduced a new wharf design on Phase 2, which also incorporates provisions to accommodate wider quay crane rail spacings of 45 metres.
 
This is effectively a 50 per cent increase from the current maximum of 30.5 metres as used in Phase I, and is in anticipation of new cranes designs that will be used to conduct operations on the next generation vessels as well as accommodating twin lifts.
 
PTP chief executive officer, Datuk Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman said, “With the new berths operational, this will bring in new capacity that will enable us to market the port more aggressively to the shipping lines. At the same time, the new designs will ensure that our facilities will remain viable well into the future.”