PTP invests
The Motorship
The Malaysian Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) is preparing to embark on the RM3 billion ($790 million) second phase of its expansion. PTP is now awaiting approval from the relevant authorities to build six more berths and is due to start work by early next year. The second phase, involving the reclamation of 600 acres, will take up to 18 months to complete.
Meanwhile, phase one is going full steam ahead. In July, the port took delivery of six rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes, valued at RM 23 million.
With these additions, PTP has a fleet of 14 super post-panamax quay cranes and two mobile harbour cranes, 42 units of RTGs and a complement of prime movers, trailers and other ancillary equipment. Still to come are ten quay cranes and 30 RTGs giving PTP an estimated total handling capacity of 4.5 million TEUs annually by year 2002.
So far, PTP’s volumes have been growing strongly. In the first half of this year, it had handled a total of 927,723 TEUs. In the second quarter alone, it handled some 541,329 TEUs up of 40% quarter-on-quarter.
Chief Executive Officer Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman says this year PTP is expecting to handle 2 million TEUs. Last year, the southern Johor port handled a total of 418,218 TEUs.
Says Sidik: “The growth from year 2000 to 2001 is in this sense unprecedented and our biggest challenge was to achieve high levels of productivity in a short period. This we have already done with the port team achieving consistent moves on mother vessels of between 26-28 gross moves per hour per crane.”
In addition, the port will be investing RM10 million this year to start haulage services as part of its strategy to become the leading cargo trans-shipment hub in the region.