The volume of transhipment containers handled at Northport rose by 22.7
per cent from 806,756 TEUs in 2000 to 989,872 TEUs in 2001, accounting for
52.5 per cent of the total transhipment containers handled via Port Klang.

Northport (Malaysia) had a better outing last year with a higher turnover of RM480.4 million(2000: RM462.1 million) “NMB was successful in weathering the pressures from economic slow-down and peer competition and able to record an increase in the throughput volume handled in the year under review,” said NCB’s group chairman Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Sarji b Abdul Hamid. The container throughput at NMB rose to 2,302,839 TEUs in 2001 compared with 2,179,947 TEUs in 2000, reflecting a growth of 5.6 per cent. The volume of transhipment containers handled at Northport rose by 22.7 per cent from 806,756 TEUs in 2000 to 989,872 TEUs in 2001, accounting for 52.5 per cent of the total transhipment containers handled via Port Klang.
 
Overall, the NCB Holdings group achieved a turnover of RM706.7 million in 2001, comparable with that achieved in year 2000 of RM706.9 million. Profit before tax for year 2001 however was lower by 19.6 per cent at RM78.6 million compared to RM97.8 million in 2000.
 
Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Sarji expressed confidence that the group’s port subsidiary would continue to play a major role in the country’s economic revival and contribute significantly towards the overall Group’s performance.
 
In anticipation of higher demand, NMB is expanding its capacity with the development of berth 12 and 13. The first of the two berths at Northport is expected to be ready for use by August 2002 while the second is scheduled to become operational by May 2003. The berths, which will have a draft of 15 meters, will help in pushing Northport’s annual handling capacity to four million TEUs.
 
Northport took delivery of 5 super post panamax quay cranes. Northport now has in total 24 cranes over a total quay length of 2.2km. The completion of the two new berths will add another 356 metre.