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In view of the growing volume of bulk throughput at Kuantan
Port, the concession holder, KPC has taken a fast track
approach to complete a Dedicated Container
Terminal. KPC plans to immediately convert the existing container berth to
handle fast growing bulk cargoes.
Dato' Mohamed Awang Tera, Managing Director of
KPC, said "the entire container operations will be
transferred to the new dedicated facility which is being
built on the 80-hectare site of the inner harbour basin."
"As scheduled, by the middle of this year the existing
container berth will be converted for general cargo
operations extending the present length of the 525
metre berth to a total of 725 metres of
multipurpose
berth.
The multipurpose berth will be able to accommodate
four vessels of 45,000 displacement tonnes with an
LOA of 95 metres simultaneously and an annual
capacity throughput of 2.4 million tonnes," said Dato' Mohamed.
Despite the port offering a dedicated facilities to handle
fast growing petrochemical products, shippers continue
to use Kuantan Port as their base port for their bulk
cargoes.
"To cope with the huge potential in bulk cargo handling
at Kuantan Port, KPC will be acquiring a second bulk
handling crane. Currently the port operates a
multipurpose crane, which is capable of handling 40
tonnes of cargo for sling operation, and 16 tonnes of
cargo for grab operation.The additional capacity that
will be generated at the multipurpose berth will ease
the congestion currently experienced at the port,"
explained Dato' Mohamed.
"We have also taken various measures to speed-up
the port stay of the ships in Kuantan Port including
handling some of the timber traffic at the harbour. We
will load the outbound timber products in a barge
and load back into the ship at basin for time being.
Plans are also in pipeline to develop additional general
cargo berth of 700 metres as and when necessary in
the near future at the newly completed new inner
harbour basin," Dato Mohamed said.
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