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Container
traffic, once the star performer at
Johor Port, lost its shine as volume
of containers handled last year fell
to 638,718 TEUs from 659,181 TEUs
handled the previous year.
Containerised
tonnage also declined traffic by 5.2
to 9.96 million tonnes in 2001
compared with 10.53 million tonnes
the previous year.
International
and domestic containers accounted
for 83.6 per cent of the total
volume with transshipment containers
accounting for the balance said
Despite
the contraction, the executive
Chairman of Johor Port Berhad, Datuk
Mohd Taufik Abdullah Johor Port Bhd
the port would continue to remain as
a key player in Malaysia’s
container trade.
He
said the port was giving continuous
attention to the upgrading and
expansion of facilities to cope with
the anticipated increase in
container traffic.
The
port has leased two gantry cranes
have been leased as part of the
efforts to enlarge its handling
capacity.
He
said JPB, which has a common parent
shareholder in Seaport Terminal Bhd
that also controls Pelabuhan Tanjung
Pelepas was looking at a strategic
liaison with PTP.
“This
liaison, predicated on complementing
our resources and efforts, will
reduce wasteful duplicity and offer
our clients a better-packaged
maritime destination proposal with
both ports benefiting from this
venture,” said Taufik.
He
noted that the cooperation has also
been enhanced with the haulage
operations served by 50 prime movers
and 350 trailers to a subsidiary
company, JP Logistics Sdn. Bhd.
The
haulage operations by the port’s
subsidiary company has created a
‘virtual landbridge’ between the
two ports at the southern tip of
Peninsular Malaysia.
While
container traffic took a dip, liquid
bulk cargo traffic took a center
stage with an impressive 46.6 per
cent growth totalling 12.55 million
tonnes.
“The
increase in liquid bulk cargo
handled has cushioned the impact of
the downturn in the electronic and
electric industry which impacted on
the Port’s container trade,”
noted Taufik.
Almost
57.2 per cent of the liquid bulk
traffic handled was fuel oil, which
grew 100.3 per cent to 7.17 million
tonnes compared with 3.57 million
tonnes handled the previous year.
Johor
port also maintained its position as
the world’s pre-eminent palm oil
export facility by handling 3.37
million tonnes.
The
moderate growth of 6 per cent was
due to the stabilizing of palm oil
prices in the world markets during
the year.
In
2001, edible liquid bulk products
handled grew by 5.1 per cent to 3.88
million tonnes while non-edible
liquid bulk products handled rose
78.2 per cent to 8.66 million tonnes.
The
impressive increase in volumes
handled was attributed primarily to
the upgrading of jetties at the
port.
Dangerous
Cargo Jetty 3 (DCJ3) can now handle
vessels of up to 80,000 tonnes while
DCJ 1 and DCJ 2 are now able to
accommodate vessels of up to 110
metres.
Also
DCJ 4, a jetty dedicated to Titan
for its chemical products, was fully
operational during the year and
contributed to the surge in liquid
chemicals traffic.
The port, which handled 25.17
million tonnes of traffic, last year
managed to weather its effects and
return relatively credible financial
results with marginal improvements
for the year.
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