With 734,022 TEUs already in the bag, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) in Johor, which set its target to handle two million TEUs this year, is now pushing hard on enhancing its productivity to cope with the rising volume of traffic at the port.

On account of recent improvements, PTP achieved highest average weekly productivity level of 24.2 gross moves per hour.

Productivity increased month-to-month from 20 moves per hour in January 2001 to 23 moves per hour in March/April 2001 and 24 - 25 moves per hour currently.

According to the port productivity on mother vessels itself averages 

26 - 27 gross moves per hour.

“The overall average figure takes into account all vessels including barges and feeders,” it said in a statement.

 
To cope with the surge of volumes, PTP has also increased its labour force to approximately 900 and this was matched with  the forward delivery of Super Post Panamax quaycranes and yard gantry cranes.

The rise in productivity has been in tandem with the monthly rise in throughput which in May rose to 187,098 TEUs, representing a 17 per cent increase from April 2001 throughput of 160,529 TEUs (and a 30-fold increase when compared to handling around 6,000 TEUs in May last year).

  
The chief executive officer of PTP, Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman congratulated the port team which helped to achieve productivity figures comparable to many established ports worldwide.

“The 30-fold jump demonstrates to other potential main lines our ability to offer their vessels faster turnaround. Our next target is to further increase this figure to setting new benchmarks of productivity. It will be productivity, fast turnaround and guaranteed berthing that will be key attractions for the next few main lines,” he said.