Box handling peaks up

Johor Port will continue to focus on the core activities of the port business by responding efficiently to customers growing need and demands.

The Director of Port Operation of Johor Port Berhad, Dr Lim Meng Soon said the recent move to expand the container yard capacity and the leasing of additional quay cranes to cope with the rising volume in container traffic was in line with the Port's supply-driven approach to cater to the increasing demand.

He said JPB has identified a two-acre site, adjacent to the container terminal to be re-developed as designated store containers.

In addition to the shoreside gantry cranes, container handling operations at the Port’s CY is supported by a fleet 17 transfer cranes.

According to Dr Lim, Johor Port handled monthly highest volume of 62,732 TEUs in the month of August. “This was 1,057 TEUs higher then the previous record handling achieved in the month of May this year. Month-to-month comparison shows volume of box traffic traffic grew by 28 per cent totalling 62,732 TEUs in the month of August as compared with 49,052 TEUs in the months of July this year,” he pointed out.

The increased volume of container traffic at Johor Port has raised average lifting of vessels calling the Port dramatically. 

Average lifting of per container ship at Johor Port Container Terminal has risen by 19.38 per cent to 54,949 TEUs per ship during the eight months period of this year.

“Each crane at the terminal handled in excess of 400 TEUs per day. This is a very highly productive performance of quay crane for JPCT when compared with other well established container handling facilities in Malaysia,” said Dr Lim.

 To cope with increasing volume of box traffic the Port is leasing two additional shore site cranes from private operators. The cranes will complement the existing five post-panamax quay cranes at the 760-metre container terminal.  Dr Lim said with the new gantry cranes and the expanded yard area, Johor Port Container Terminal will be capable of handling up to one million TEUs from previous handling capacity of 600,000 TEUs.