Port of Tanjung Pelepas sees strong container growth

The Malaysian port posted record throughput volumes for the month of August.    The Port of Tanjung Pelepas posted a record throughput for the month of August, in which it handled some 800,000 TEUs throughout the month, according to Tradewinds.
   The Malaysian port said the record places it on the right track to reach its target total container throughput of 9.2 million TEUs for 2015.
   Container throughput volumes at the port during the first eight months were up 8.9 percent from the same period in 2014.
   In 2014, the port handled 8.5 million TEUs, making it the first port in Malaysia to achieve this.
   “Positive improvements on productivity in container operations and better optimization of resources were seen as the main reason behind this latest breakthrough,” Port of Tanjung Pelepas CEO Glen Hilton said in a statement.
   The Port of Tanjung Pelepas recently completed expansion, which involved building two new berths, three blocks of container yards, procurement of new quay cranes and electrifying existing rubber-tired gantry cranes, Tradewinds said.
   The port now has an additional 720 meters of quay length and an annual handling capacity of 10.5 million TEUs.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, 35 container shipping services that operate outside of Asia call the Port of Tanjung Pelepas.
   The port is a joint venture between MMC Corp with 70 percent and AP Moller Maerk’s APM Terminals with 30 percent.