[150914.EN.SEA] Westports Set to Handle 8 Million TEU With Launch of New Terminal

WITH the launch of container terminal 7 (CT7), Westports Holding expects to handle eight million TEU this year now that it has dominated the Port Klang as market leader, handling 7.5 million TEU last year.

Westports CEO Ruben Emir Gnanalingam said Westports is now achieving 22,000 TEU in a day, more than 150,000 TEU per week.

To date, Westports has handled more than 60 million TEU from a wide variety of vessels from very small barges to the biggest ships since it opened in the early '90s, the New Straits Times reported.

"Today we are proud to be the catalyst behind port Klang's growth by holding 78 per cent of Port Klang's container market share.

"In total, we have grown our volume by 374 per cent from 2001 to 2013 and propelling it to become the 12th largest port in the world," said Mr Gnanalingam during the launch ceremony of container terminal 7 (CT7) and Westport Malaysia Sdn Bhd 20th anniversary celebration.

He said that from being able to handle 140 moves in 1997, Westports now handle 739 moves in an hour starting earlier this year and made their way into CSCL Le Havre a World Record in Container productivity.

"We are also currently owning the largest cranes in the world which stand 52 metres high," he said.

He also expressed his confidence that these cranes along with other parts of CT7 like the yard's rubber-tyred gantries (RTG) crane will bring up capacity to 11 million TEU along the busiest sea trade route in the world, the Straits of Malacca.

Mr Gnanalingam added that with the launch of CT7, Westports will be ready for the latest 19,000-TEU vessels when they are launched by China Shipping this year.

Source : HKSG.