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| Penang Port set to see its glorious trading days |
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PLANS to turn Penang Port into a showcase model for the maritime industry and its impending public listing next year are signs that glorious trading days are set to return to the oldest port in the country.
Penang Port Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Abdul Latif Abdullah said the port which had a long heritage legacy, could turn itself into what it was before – a vibrant port with a hive of activities when it was still a free port until 1969.
“We should by 2010, hopefully, look at being one of the best managed ports with integrated operations performance in the country,’” he said in an interview.
He is looking forward to the port handling new dimension ships, improving productivity, and has also proposed for a maritime academy similar to those in Scandinavian countries, to cater for maritime specialists in the country.
“Scandinavian countries have small population but they have among the best trained maritime experts. This is something we can replicate and do in Penang,” he said.
Abdul Latif said the Cape Town's working harbour, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and Singapore's Durian House were among examples to attract investors and tourists.
“These are some of the water-front development which can be carried out but it has to be consistent, localised and internationally appealing,” he said.
Abdul Latif, 55, said with so much of potential to unlock in the port and its surrounding areas, the right investors, strategies and re-engineering could give bountiful boost to Penang’s economy.
“Bear in mind, Penang Port not only caters to its hinterland but also Thailand, Sumatran and the Indian sub continent market,” he said, adding that it was time to think out of the box.
Escaping the maritime radar, losing out to competition and having to adhere to corporatisation policies for a while now, he said it was time to take the “bull by its horns”.
Planned two years ago, he is hopeful that the public listing exercise would take off next year, since all paperwork and necessary submissions have been completed.
“This will mean that we can have additional funds to manage new equipment for gradual upgrading, expansion and related development plans for the port,” he said, adding that it could run into hundreds of millions.
Abdul Latif said there were on-going development initiatives to improve the port's productivity under the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) Phase IIB Expansion project, enabling NBCT to handle 1 million TEUs per annum in 2006.
In 2004, the port recorded a 4.6% increase in total throughput handling and its container increase was 12.2% compared to 2003.
For the first nine months of this year, the port recorded a 3% increase, handling 589,521 TEUs compared to 575,055 TEUs for the same period in 2004.
In terms of cargo throughput, Penang Port handled 18 million freight tonnes compared to 17.4 million in 2004.
The project would involve extending berth lengths to a further 200m to make a 900m berth at NBCT.
“Also 25 hectares will be reclaimed for container yard facilities and a second access bridge will be constructed with requisite equipment provided,” he said.
Abdul Latif said the port would also consolidate all container handling operations to NBCT and there would be two additional berths at the Butterworth Wharves to cater for break bulk cargo.
Scheduled for completion in 2007, he said it was a cost saving measure while maximising on human capital and improving container-handling activities.
Presently, containers are handled at the Butterworth Container Terminal (BWCT) and NBCT, with a combined container handling capacity of 770,000 TEUs per annum.
The port currently does between 18 and 23 moves per hour, depending on the vessel build-up.
Among other expansion plans are the construction of a vehicle export terminal (RORO) and the construction of a second vegetable oil terminal, to meet anticipated increase at the Butterworth Wharves.
Butterworth Wharves has four berths with its wharf measuring 715m and with depths between 7.5m and 9m.
It can handle a variety of break bulk cargo such as palm oil in drums, refined sugar, bag rice, iron and steel products, and manufactured goods.
Equipment available at present includes 39 forklifts to handle three tonnes, eight prime movers (16 tonnes), right trailers (16 tonnes) and two heavy lift forklifts (10 tonnes).
The port also has a vegetable oil tanker pier (VOTP), located south of Butterworth Wharves.
This VOTP is linked via overhead pipelines to facilitate direct loading and discharging of edible oils to privately owned storage tank farms.
The Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal (PBCT) is also located here to handle dry bulk, non-edible liquid bulk and dangerous liquid bulk cargo.
Penang Port is also unique because it provides ferry service, linking Georgetown on the island to Butterworth, with PPSB operating a fleet of eight ferries.
Penang Port handles some of the largest cruise vessels in the world at Swettenham Pier on Penang Island. At present, Swettenham Pier has a linear berth of 366m in length and an alongside depth of 9.5m ACD.
Abdul Latif said there were also plans to redevelop Swettenham Pier into an international cruise terminal to cater for larger cruise vessels.
Enhancing cargo handling and the ferry service, the PPSB also provides ancillary facilities such as pilotage, towage, security, fire-fighting, and ship repair. The port’s container services unit was the first of PPSB’s business units to be awarded the ISO 9001:2000 certification.
Penang port is managed and operated by Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB), a corporate entity set up under the Government’s privatisation policy.
The port is accessible via the North Channel and South Channel. While the North Channel approach has a depth of 10.7m A.C.D, the South Channel is restricted to vessels with a draft of 5.8m A.C.D and less and air-draft of not exceeding 28m because of the 13.5km Penang Bridge.
A deepwater port overlooking major shipping lanes in the Straits of Malacca, Penang Port is a choice for traders within the Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand growth triangle and the Asia Pacific region.
It is strategically located along the Northwest coast of Peninsula Malaysia and serves one of the busiest trade routes, linking the country to more than 200 ports worldwide. Convenient, well located and loaded with a rich history, Abdul Latif is enthusiastic about Penang Port.
“I want to see Penang Port coming back to its glory days,” he said, adding that the port was the training ground for many old timers in the industry. Having said that, he quotes a Prophet Mohamed saying, “An organisation from the lowest to the highest level, should encompass knowledge and matured skill to ensure transparency and excellence. Failing to have this, be prepared for ruin.”
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Last updated: 08/08/2007
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| The Star Online |
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