World Top Container Ports

Confirming its position as Malaysia’s number one container facility for the seventh year in a row, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) in Johor handled 5.6m TEU in 2008, up 2% from the previous year and maintaining its 18th position in the World Top Container Ports ranking.

 In April 2008, PTP and MISC signed an agreement to set up a joint venture company to serve MISC and other shipping lines. Under the terms of the agreement, PTP will hold a 70% majority stake in the joint venture, with MISC holding 30%. After moving its hub from Singapore to PTP in June 2008, MISC became the third major shipping line to use PTP as its hub in the region, following Maersk and Evergreen’s moves to the port in 2000 and 2002 respectively.
 
While most ports in the region are expecting to see a drop in their 2009 throughput volumes, PTP is expecting quite the opposite and anticipates handling 6.1m TEU, up 9% on 2008. This is partly due to it having recently concluded an agreement with CMA CGM, which will move some of its regional transshipment cargo through PTP from Port Klang. Under the Vessel Sharing Agreement (VSA) partnership between CMA CGM and Maersk Line, approximately 500,000 TEU per annum will be added to PTP’ total throughput.   

PTP, where around 96% of container volumes comprise transshipment traffic, currently has ten berths of 360 m each on a 3.6 km linear quayline, with a designed handling capacity of up to 8 m TEU per annum. The Port is currently constructing Berths 11 and 12, which will  provide an additional 720 m of quay length. “We have planned this to be completed by end 2009. Once completed, PTP will have 12 berths with an annual terminal handling capacity of 10 m TEU,” explained Captain Ismail Hashim, PTP’s CEO.

“The development and expansion that we have planned involves dredging and reclamation works for four additional berths, which will provide an additional 1.4 km of quay length. The berths will be supported by container yards and equipment, including dual-hoist quay cranes, RTGs, prime movers and trailers. We also have plans to deepen the access channel further to 17.5 m, in order to allow vessels needing deeper draughts to access the port,” said Hashim. However, he admits that, given the current economic situation, it is difficult to say when these plans will be fully realized.

For the future, PTPs strategic aim is to become a regional distribution hub, and its management has plans to build even more berths to cater for growth as and when it occurs. Indeed, PTP is already on the look-out for additional land to reclaim for the development of phase three of its expansion plan, beyond 2010.