The berths, 360 metres each in length, will provide an additional 720 metres to the existing 720 metres of length.

This will give PTP a total of 1,440 metres of linear quay length in mid July 2000.

Remaining work is currently focussed on 3 blocks of the container yard behind berths 3 and 4.

The quay cranes No. 7 and No. 9 were delivered in May 2000. An additional 3 quay cranes for berth 4 will be delivered in October 2000, PTP said in a statement.

With the opening of two additional berths, PTP now offers increased flexibility to shipping lines with a guarantee of berth availability.

The container yard will also see a total of 14,750 ground slots available, ensuring that no bottlenecks occur on the yard area.

Rubber-tyred gantry cranes at the yard, which currently number 24, are capable of stacking 5 high. With a large yard area, PTP is however only stacking 3 high in the interim period guaranteeing shipping lines of fast turnaround without delays at the yard.

The wharf is designed as an open pier with a submerged combined steel section front wall.

The wharf deck also has a width of 36.3 metres, which incorporates the crane rail beams. It has also been designed to cater to a depth of 16.5 metres.

With container vessels on the drawing board which have a 10,000-TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) capacity requiring deeper waters, the wharf design will enables PTP to undertake further dredging in the next decade or so if demand arises.

Other features of the wharf include the necessary installation of bollards suitable for working loads of up to 150 tonnes and Bridgestone type fenders with a rated reaction force of up to 158 tonnes.

These high-end specifications have enabled PTP to receive the world's largest vessels with ease. Maersk Sealand's "S" class vessels with a length of 347 metres are currently the largest container vessels afloat with capacities of up to 6,600 TEUs.

PTP is the only Malaysian port to have received 6 of the "S" class vessels to date, including Skagen Maersk, Clifford Maersk Cornelius Maersk, Sally Maersk and Svend Maersk and Soroe Maersk this year.

Meanwhile, PTP is targeting end-2000 for completion of Phase One project.

Phase One of PTP includes 6 berths or 2.16km of linear wharf, 18 Super Post Panamax quay cranes and 58 Rubber-tyred gantry cranes.

With a network that spans the Far East, West Asia, Europe and the US by Maersk Sealand, Mitusi OSK Lines and APL-NOL, PTP is also increasing efforts to speed up the development of the port's back-up container facilities which include comprehensive container maintenance & repair, off-dock depots and build-up of land for distribution and warehousing facilities.

Synergies established between third-party operators for these facilities and the port will see value-added benefits with the port being able to attract existing customers of the operators.

PTP is confident that the growth at the terminal will also see growth of back-up facilities increase to significant spin-off benefits for all existing port users.