Port of Tanjung Pelepas defies pandemic with strong volume growth

The Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) experienced a TEU growth of 8% in 2020 despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as it continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading transshipment hubs.

Its volume totalled 9.8 million TEU and Dato’ Sri Che Khalib Mohammed Noh, PTP’s chairman, credited the traffic in part to its substantial infrastructure investment.

“Last year, PTP invested more than RM700 million ($172.9 million) to improve its container handling capacity, capability and reliability by procuring additional 8 Super Post Panamax Quay Cranes, 10 Electrified Rubber Tyred Gantries (ERTG) and the dredging of our navigation channel to ensure new generation of Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCV) ships can safely navigate to our port,” Noh said.

“By investing in our assets, we are further establishing our terminal as one of the best equipped and most technologically advanced terminals in the region and will ensure that PTP can keep up with the rapid changes in the port and shipping industry and subsequently meet the growing demand of our customers.”

Marco Neelsen, Chief Executive Officer explains that the trajectory growth derives at the back of the surge in extra transhipment calls volume receives by the port due to the increase demand in Asia and Europe as well as requests from customers to increase their throughput in PTP.

“Despite some challenges during Q2 of FY2020, the 2nd Half of the year went very positive for PTP with an upsurge of volume due to the opening of countries’ borders and the reviving of the global trade economy for China, Transpacific and Europe regions,” Neelson said.

“PTP’s readiness and proactive drive to handle these demands have definitely cushioned the downside scenario and impact of sluggish global trade saw earlier as a result of COVID-19 outbreak and the measures taken by countries to halt the pandemic” he said.

PTP recorded a string of record-breaking terminal performance throughout 2020 including accomplishing the latest all – time highest record for TEU handling in a month with 967,783 TEU as well as the highest moves in a single shift with a total of 12,411 moves (19,984 TEU) last December.


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