Barge links Batu Pahat inland terminal and Port Klang

OOCL become the first ocean carrier to develop a barge terminal in Batu Pahat to feeder transhipment traffic from southern region of Peninsular Malaysia directly to Port Klang. 

Speaking at the commissioning of the new inland terminal, the Minister of Transport, Dato' Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik, said the move further strengthens Port Klang's efforts to widen its market outreach especially the southern Peninsular Malaysian region.

The barge terminal - Batu Pahat Kontena Terminal (BPKT)- will become the first barge-operating center to complement feeder operations network from Pasir Gudang to Port Klang and block train services offered by KTM Bhd from Segamat Inland Port to Port Klang. 

"Today we are witnessing another effort to boost transhipment traffic initiated by a main line operator, Overseas Orient Container Line to implement barge transportation in Malaysian waters," the Minister said.

BPCT is being developed jointly by OOCL and Biro Kontena Sdn Bhd. The RM3 million barge terminal is situated about three miles from the river mouth of Sungai Batu Pahat. The 76-metre barge terminal with a draft of 4.4 metres along-side will be developed to accommodate 200 containers at any point of time. According to the Executive Chairman of BKSB, Ungku Hamzah bin Abd. Rahman the terminal would be ready for commercial operation by middle of November. 

"Initially Biro Container will deploy one-100TEUs barge every Friday from Batu Pahat to Port Klang. OOCL also will use the barge to re-position its empty containers from Port Klang bound to southern region shippers. Progressively, this service will be increased to as much as 3 calls per week, depending on customers' requirement," said the General Manager of OOCL (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Richard Hew.

According to Richard Hew, OOCL was in a good position to provide an integrated and total package service right from the shippers door to door delivery at destinations. 

"Our successful intermodal barge operation in Yangtze River and Pearl River which connect more than 36 ports will able to take BPCT to greater heights in the future. In addition to that we have 20 weekly direct connections from Port Klang to various destinations. Northport has given its commitment to provide special berthing arrangement for our barge operation," said Richard Hew.

Richard said about 3,000 containers per month are being trucked over roads to Pasir Gudang for feedering to Singapore for connection to mother vessels. 

"Batu Pahat alone contributes 1,500 containers monthly to Pasir Gudang or to Singapore. In view of this we have decided to pursue with idea of barging containers directly from Batu Pahat and the surrounding hinterland via BPCT to Port Klang," he added.

Meanwhile the General Manager of Sharp-Roxy Electronic Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd, M.Kokulan welcomed the move to set up the inland terminal and the commencement of the barge service to link shippers in Batu Pahat to Port Klang.

"This is a very innovative idea which offers significant cost and time savings for shippers in the Batu Pahat, Kluang and Muar area. For instance shippers from Sri Gading are paying RM509 per TEU for a round trip haulage charges to Pasir Gudang when compared with RM174 per TEU between Sri Gading and BPCT," he said.

He said the fact that BPCT had been designated as an authorised landing area for exports and empties of import containers makes it possible to regarded the terminal as an "actual port within our area of operation". 

"This means shippers can declared their K2 form or export consignment documents at BPCT instead of at Port Klang. This provides huge savings and may attract many other operators to feed their containers via Batu Pahat," said Kokulan.