PTP to add 8 wharves, plans to attract new customers
Business Times
THE Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) in Johor expects two of its new wharves to be operational by early next year, and will take this opportunity to form strategies to attract new customers.
The port, which moved 2.66 million containers last year, managed to bring back about 300,000 to 400,000 TEUs, or about half the amount of container traffic from Malaysia that was previously shipped through Singapore. Its current container handling capacity is about five million TEUs.
The port expects to handle more than three million TEUs by the end of this year.
The development of the new wharves is important to PTP to continuously attract potential users, it said in a statement issued recently.
PTP currently offers six wharves of 360 metres each, totalling 2.16km in length, and is backed by one of the largest container yards in the region, with a storage capacity of 110,000 TEUs at any one time.
The new wharves will help ease the traffic flow at the existing wharves and maintain its competitive edge over other ports in the world.
PTP and Singapore’s PSA Corp are competing to secure shipping customers on one of the world’s busiest trading routes.
The Malaysian port has managed to attract two of Singapore’s major shipping lines ≈ Maersk Sealand, a unit of Denmark’s A.P. Moeller and Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest shipping company. Denmark’s Maersk Sealand is also the port’’s major client.
Since its official launch on March 13 2000, PTP has grown from strength to strength in terms of both volume and productivity.
PTP is strategically located at the southwest shoulder of Johor with a minimum diversion time from the confluence of the main international shipping lanes.
The port’s strategic location presents significant geographical advantages through its deep waters, sheltered bay and wide access channel. Operational equipment include 24 Super Post Panamax quay cranes, 10 of which have a 22-box outreach and are the largest in the region.