Plans include the upgrades of container wharf facilities comprising Wharf 8, 9 and 10 and the purchasing of new container handling equipment so that it can handle bigger ships as well as expand its volume capacity. Further development includes the upgrading of Southpoint, the oldest section of the port – to handle break bulk, liquid and dry bulk cargo.
The move follows $164m development of a new 350mtr container berth called Wharf 8A, bringing the container quayline at the port to a total of 3.4km. "Wharf 8A, which will be operational in August this year, will inject an additional container handling capacity of 600,000teu to the current 5m teu," said ceo Abi Sofian Abdul Hamid in an interview with the Malaysia Sun.
Board approval for the redevelopment funding is still under discussion.
The news follows Northport's acquisition of 13 Electric Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes - the first in Malaysia - greatly improving its container handling speed, to 58 seconds standard cycle time, as well as fuel consumption. “The E-RTG energy consumption cost is only 35% of a Diesel-powered RTG. By adopting this new technology, we are expected to reduce the fuel cost significantly," said Hamid.
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