PTP closes 25th anniversary year with record 14 mil TEUs

 

ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Tanjung Pelepas port (PTP) closed 2025 with a historic throughput of 14.03 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), becoming the first single container terminal in Malaysia to surpass the 14-million mark in its 25th anniversary year.

A TEU, or twenty-foot equivalent unit, is the standard international measure used to quantify container throughput, representing the cargo capacity of a single 20-foot-long shipping container.

PTP, a joint venture between MMC Group and Netherlands-based APM Terminals, recorded 14,028,375 TEUs for the full 2025 calendar year.

The milestone positions PTP as Malaysia's leading transshipment hub and one of the region's most resilient container terminals.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the achievement represented a significant leap forward for PTP, building on earlier record highs of 11.2 million TEUs in 2021 and 12.3 million TEUs in 2024.

Loke said the milestone reflected the port's sustained operational discipline, scale and execution strength.

"Reaching the new threshold in its silver jubilee year further reinforced PTP's standing regionally and globally," he added.

PTP chairman Tan Sri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said closing 2025 at 14 million TEUs set a new national benchmark and reflected the collective commitment of its workforce and the confidence of global customers.

"The milestone is even more significant as it was achieved while sustaining a monthly average of 1.2 million TEUs with no congestion," he said, adding that PTP's designation as a key Asian hub for the Gemini Cooperation further affirmed market trust in the port.

Gemini Cooperation is a strategic global shipping alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd aimed at delivering faster, more reliable container services through a streamlined hub-and-spoke network.

PTP chief executive officer Mark Hardiman said 2025 marked a defining year for the port, with both the 13-million and 14-million TEU milestones achieved within the same month, specifically on Dec 6 and Dec 31, respectively.

"This placed PTP in a new league of operational performance," he said.

PTP also reported strong growth in its Free Zone operations, which expanded by eight per cent year-on-year, driven by e-commerce, fast-moving consumer goods, sports apparel, auto parts and construction materials.

Its Pelepas Free Zone, offering seven million sq ft of warehouse space, recorded a 98 per cent occupancy rate, supported by new regional distribution hubs set up by multinational and local players.

December capped the record year with PTP's 25th anniversary gala night, attended by government representatives, regulators, shipping lines, industry partners and stakeholders.

Loke, who officiated the event, said PTP was on track to join the world's Top 10 ports, citing its performance, strategic location and continued investment in technology, infrastructure and talent.

Separately, PTP was named a 5-Star Lister on the ESG Select List 2025 by the United Nations Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei on Jan 6, making it the first port and maritime organisation in Malaysia, and the only company in Johor, to receive the distinction.