Bintulu Port sees higher volume this year

Petaling Jaya: Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd (BPSB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd (BPHB) expects better volume performance due to the recovery in the global and domestic economy well as higher commodity prices this year.
“Better performances is expected for liquefied natural gas, palm oil, silica sand, palm kernel products, bulk fertilizer, container, wood-based products and other break-bulk cargo handled at the port.
“It is expected that this year, cargo throughput will increase by 4% as compared with that in 2009.
“While for 2011, it is forecast that cargo throughput will increase by 5% in all sectors except for crude oil and logs,” said an official from BPSB corporate development division.
For the first six-month of this year, all types of cargo handing recorded an increase over the same period last year.
LNG is the major earner for Bintulu Port and contributes about 80% of annual operating income.
The official said cargo throughput last year was down by 5% from the previous year due to the global economic downturn.
With regard to its expansion plan of RM600mil under BPSB strategic plan 2005-2010, the official said the expansion of Bintulu International Container Terminal (BICT) container yard had been completed on July 2.
“With this development, current yard capacity is 400,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per year. Due to the market situation, the proposed extension of 200m wharf for BICT is still pending, whereby this project is expected to boost BICT capacity to 650,000 TEUs per annum,” he said.
Meanwhile, the official said the development of container freight station was progressing and expected to be completed in mid-November.
“The refurbishment of the multi-purpose terminal under the proposed upgrading and improvement works to 500m wharf has also been completed in April. The building of 10 storage tanks for Biport Bulkers has also completed in August.
He said with these additional facilities, Biport Bulkers was now equipped with 60 tanks and able to accommodate 101,600 tonnes of cargo (palm oil) at one go compared with 75,600 tonnes previously,” he said.
In line with the development, BPHB recorded a surge of 9.8% to RM74.1mil for the first six-month of its current financial year ending Dec 31. Revenue for the period under review increased to RM225.4mil compared with RM219mil a year earlier.

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