ASEAN Ports Association Malaysia (MAPA)

PORT KLANG: Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Westports), operator of the country’s busiest port, is looking at the overseas market to expand its business beyond Malaysia via partnerships.

Its chief executive officer, Ruben Emir Gnanalingam, said Westports was looking at a few potential markets particularly South East Asian countries and India to expand its container business.

He said despite the slowing down of demand in Europe, US and China, the fast emerging markets such as India, Africa and Middle East countries were continuing their growth.

“We are always looking for opportunities beyond Malaysia and are often in talks with various parties but todate we do not have any concrete development on that yet,” he said.

He said talks were still at the early stages and the group was now getting to know its potential partners.

Westports’ core business is container operations and its major clients include the CMA CGM group, China Shipping and United Arab Shipping Corp.

Ruben Emir said Westports will spend about RM500 million in 2013 to improve its current facility and provide better services to its clients.

“We are currently constructing the 300-metre and 600-metre wharfs which are to be ready by January 2013 and early 2014 respectively.”

He added that the port hoped to see positive improvements in both performance and productivity, especially in container operations, once the wharfs are completed.

“Our current capacity is 8.5 million TEUs and we will be able to reach 10 million TEUs capacity with the completion of the two wharfs in 2014.”

The wharfs will come along with crane and corresponding yacht equipment.

“The improvement for the yacht equipment is that we are moving towards electric based equipment from fuel based equipment,” he added. Bernama

WESTPORTS Malaysia Sdn Bhd, operator of the country’s busiest port, expects to see growth in its business for next year despite the gloomy global economy.

Its chief executive Ruben Emir Gnanalingam said despite the global economic crisis and news of the European economy in recession, consumption worldwide is increasing.

He said Westports’ cargo volume is growing due to rising demand in India and other African and West Asian countries.

“Although the economic outlook is not so good for most of the world, consumption is increasing and cargoes need to be moved from the countries manufacturing them to countries that consume them. So there is a lot of growth,” Ruben Emir said.

Westports’ core business is container operations and its major clients are CMA CGM group, China Shipping and United Arab Shipping Corp.

He said Westports is confident of handling seven million TEUs of container cargo this year.

“I think we have hit six million TEUs and so, with one million TEUS more before year-end, I think we should be almost touching it,” Ruben Emir said.
Last year, Westports handled 6.4 million TEUs.

However, he said Westports hopes to achieve eight to 10 million TEUs once its additional 300m berths and 600m berths are completed by 2014. Bernama

The expected cost savings from the consolidation of Johor Port and Port of Tanjung Pelepas’ (PTP) operations can still be achieved without changing their corporate structure, says Kenanga Investment Bank research head Yeonzon Yeow.

“The deferment of the rationalisation plan of the two ports will have minimal impact on their parent company, MMC Corp Bhd. Whether they consolidate or not, both ports are still within the group,” he told StarBiz yesterday. MMC owns 100% of Johor Port and 70% of PTP.

MMC proposed to streamline operations at the two ports to reduce cargo leakages to Singapore, which has been going on for many years due to better connectivity offered by Singapore ports.

The consolidation would also see Johor Port’s container operations in Pasir Gudang moved to PTP in Gelang Patah, turning the former into a non-containerised port.

But the Government shot down the idea last week due to the distance between the two ports, which is about 90km, as shippers and manufacturers operating in Pasir Gudang, Tampoi and Tebrau complained that they would incur higher transportation cost going to PTP.

OSK Research Sdn Bhd research head Chris Eng said with the deferment, the listing of MMC’s port units was unlikely to materialise soon.

“Nonetheless, we believe there is still the possibility of MMC list ing its other units, Gas Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Malakoff Corp Bhd within the next two to three years,” he said in a recent note to clients.

Eng said the deferment of the consolidation exercise would also result in PTP’s excess capacity being underutilised for the time being.

He said the main reason for the rationalisation between the two biggest ports in Johor was because the container operations at Johor Port was congested with minimal room for further expansion.

“The consolidation would boost container volume at PTP, helping it reach the eight million twenty-foot equivalent units level, which would then help to attract new customers,” he said.

By SHARIDAN M. ALI

Malaysia’s leading port, Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd, posted a healthy 27 per cent surge in its container volume for the first quarter of this year compared with the corresponding period of last year

Improvements were seen in both performance and productivity, especially in container operations, Westports said in a statement.

Westports container throughput was 1.244 million TEUs compared with 981,000 TEUs in the first quarter of 2009.

Local volume increased by 24 per cent while transshipment was up by 22 per cent.

“If we compare our first quarter figures with that of 2008, which had a stronger performance compared with the slower and weaker 2009, we have actually grown by 7 per cent and this puts us on a stronger platform to achieve 5.2 million TEUs for 2010,” said Westports executive director Ruben Emir Gnanalingam in the statement.

Westports recorded a container volume of 1.166 million TEUs in the first quarter of 2008.

“Looking forward, the outlook for 2010 will be generally better than in 2009. There has been an uptrend in Westports’ throughput in past months and that could well be extended into the rest of the year,” Ruben said.

Most encouraging was the growth of local boxes, which saw Westports market share in Port Klang rising to 44 per cent while that for transshipment growth was retained at 71 per cent.

Overall, Westports commanded a market share of 61 per cent in Port Klang.

A significant development in Q1 was the new world benchmark for productivity recently.

“Westports’ operations team yet again showed its dexterity and skills in container handling when it managed to hit crane productivity of 734 moves in a single hour of operations with nine-crane deployment, erasing the earlier mark of 665 mph done on a CMA vessel in 2008,” the statement said.

This feat was performed on March 9 while working on CSCL Pusan, a 9,600-TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) vessel belonging to China Shipping.

A total of 5,244 moves were achieved on this vessel, which sails on the AEX 7 service (eastbound).

The productivity achieved over such a large volume of moves across the vessel continues to boost the port’s status as the World’s Best 5 for Productivity and a leading mega transshipment hub in the region.

On port expansion works, Ruben said: “We will build a new 300m wharf when we hit 450,000 TEUs consecutively for three months.

“This would be followed by the acquisition of additional equipment and manpower. Our current capacity is 7.2 million TEUs.” – Bernama

Within the kaleidoscope of fast changing global logistics scenario, Penang Port Sdn Bhd has formulated a strategic approach to serve our customers at the peak level, in line with our new corporate vision to make Penang Port to be the PREMIER PORT AND LOGISTICS CHAIN INTEGRATOR IN THE REGION.

Under New Business Plan, for container operations, the North Butterworth Container Terminal will be expanding by another 600 meters to accommodate seven vessels at any one time.  The north channel entrance will also be dredged to 13.5 meters from the current depth of 11.5 meters to accommodate bigger drafted vessels.

In addition, the port is also planning a 1500 meter storage deck located directly to the back of the present berth.  This will enhance the handling of export containers and improve port productivity performance by up to 30%.  This deck will be able to handle 873,900 teus and together with the current capacity of 961,300 teus, total yard capacity at the port will be 1,835,200.

The new expansion plan will be equipped with six new super post panamax gantry cranes and 15 rubber tyred gantry cranes.  These new superstructures and equipment will certainly enhance our strategy of being supply driven port instead of being driven by demand.  With these new developments in plan, productivity at the port will be increased, with a new target of at 35 teus moves per hour.  The cost of construction is expected to be RM380.7 million.

Penang Port Sdn Bhd also has formulated a strategic approach to provide information services in tandem the company’s long term business plan, PELKON III, PPSB’s newest container terminal management system was official launched on 1 September 2006.  The objective is to make the port intelligent and move to   the paperless era with a host of new features and functionalities that will enable port customers to do business in an easier and faster way.

In the pipe line after marina project completion, is the development an international cruise passenger terminal at Swettenham Pier, that is estimated to cost RM65 million.  The project is already kicks off in May 2006 and targeted to complete in 2007.  The present Swettenham Pier will be upgraded as world class cruise terminal to revitalize the Georgetown Waterfront.  The scope of work involves the redeveloped of Swettenham Pier into an ultra-modern international cruise Terminal with a T-shaped berth 450 meters long and 9 meters deep.  Upon completion, the berth will be able to cater for cruise vessel carrying more than 2,000 passengers.

We believe that with these developments in place, we will be able to fulfill our customer’s expectations, thereby strengthening our market position and company performance.  Thus enhancing our capability to make Penang Port Sdn Bhd a truly regional huh for the Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand growth triangle.

Panstar V. PS001S’s maiden voyage to Kota Kinabalu Port on 28^th March 2006 was well receive by Sabah Ports Sdn. Bhd. (SPSB). This was the first direct call by a container vessel from the Far East to Sabah which marked the beginning of another milestone in the shipping fraternity that augurs well for Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd and Sabah as a whole.

The vessel which sails direct from Hong Kong will be servicing weekly calls to Kota Kinabalu thus facilitating the company, DMM Shipping Agency to foster Kota Kinabalu as the hub for containers bound for other regions of Sabah, This fits very well into SPSB’s plans of making Kota Kinabalu Port at present, and later Sapangar Bay Container Port, the shipping and transshipment hub of BIMP-EAGA and the region.

Sapangar  Bay Container Port, being built a cost of about RM400 million is scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of 2007. By then the container at Kota Kinabalu Port would be moved to Sapangar, leaving behind the non-container operations.

Sapangar Bay Container Port would have a 500 meters jetty with 12 meters depth alongside and two inner berths of 200 meters each. On shore facilities include a 15-hectare container yard and CFS, equipment. The annual throughput capacity is expected at 350,000 TEUs per annum.

By: Sabah Ports Sdn. Bhd.