Westport, at Port Klang, has commissioned another 600 metres container berth to cope with the fast growing volume of container traffic. The RM80 million facility has been delivered a month ahead of the original scheduled by the contractor, Muhibbah Marine Engineering Sdn Bhd.

The two berths with 300-metre each was officially handed over by the chairman of Port Klang Authority, Datuk Seri Dr Ting Chew Peh to the executive chairman of Westport Holdings, Datuk Nik Ibrahim Nik Kamil on 21 April 2000.

“The 600 metres new terminal has extended Westport’s quay length from 1,400 metres to 2,000 metres. It gives major capacity boost for Westport,” said Datuk Dr Ting.

Westport which posted an impressive 24.1 per cent growth in container traffic totalling one million teus last year will now offer about three million TEUs capacity per annum, up from present capacity of two million TEUs per annum.

The high growth is also reflected in the increase in the number liner calls and their frequency at the terminal, which handled first container vessel in June 1996. Westport is now being served regularly by a total of 17 MLOs and 32 feeders.

“An important aspect of the growth at the terminal has been the tremendous increase in transhipment in container traffic. Transhipment traffic surpassed more than half-a-millionTEUs last year from merely 3,000 TEUs handled in the first year of operation. In view of this, we have developed a dedicated multi-purpose berth to cater for fast growing number of smaller feeder carriers plying regularly between Westport and other regional ports,” said Datuk Nik Ibrahim.

 The berth extension will be supported by an additional fleet of five post-panamax quay cranes and will bring the total number of cranes at the terminal to 17 units by end of this year. The first two units of the five gantry’s will be delivered by June and the remaining three units end of this year.

Additional shore and landside capacities are being expanded by the operators to meet the surge in demand.  Westport will take delivery of five more RTG to bring to total the number of units to 40 units by end of this year. It has also taken delivery of four reach stackers from Kalmar early April this year.

Yard capacity is also being enhanced to handle an additional two million TEUs per annum by end of this year.  A 24-hectare back-up yard is being developed in two phases. The first phase of 8-hectare will be fully developed by June this year and provided 1,500 ground slots.

Under the second phase an additional 16-hectare will be developed before November this year.  The two-phase yard development will provide an additional 4,500 ground slots and raise the total ground slots available at Westport to 11,500 slots by end of this year.

Meanwhile, shipping lines calling at Westport, welcomed the move by the terminal operator to provide supply-driven facility for liners calling at the terminal.

"We are happy to note that the far-sighted vision of Westport’s to develop supply driven facility ahead of demand. This will ensure Port Klang will continue to remain as one of the preferred ports for liners especially for those who have started to place orders for bigger size carriers,” said the director/general manager of China Shipping (Malaysia) Agency Sdn Bhd, Wan Jun