PTP aims for 11% growth

Port of Tanjung Pelepas, the single largest terminal in Malaysia by volume, aims to grow the handling of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) by 11% this year against 2011.
PTP deputy CEO Azlan Shahrim said the growth target this year would very much depend on the global economy and how shipping lines responded to changes in the marketplace.
“Last year, we grew by 15% compared with the industry growth of 7%. This year, the global container traffic is estimated to grow by 5.5% and we aim to double that,” he told StarBiz, adding that the PTP would be handling more local cargo.
Port of Tanjung Pelepas will be handling more local cargo.
“This segment increased by 30% last year and there is momentum to do even more. We now have 26 shipping lines and box operators compared with just two lines in our early years.
“This significantly improves connectivity and frequency, so local shippers now have better access to the global market,” he said.
Additionally, he said the PTP would continue to improve the quality of its services.
“We are probably the sixth largest terminal in the world and must continue to deliver high efficiency even as our operations become bigger and more complex.
“Our staff have been amazing in coping with the 15% rise in volumes and we must continuously raise the bar,” he said.
Another focus of the port was to build a great team that could lift the organisation to the next level.
“Advanced equipment and systems alone are not enough. Execution is what matters, and that relies on human capability.
“Managing talent is one of my most important roles. So I’m constantly on the lookout for bright and engaged people who want to make a difference,” he said.
PTP, which is a 70% subsidiary of MMC Corp Bhd, plans to add two more berths to cater for potentially higher demand.
“This will increase our current capacity from 8.4 million TEUs to 10 million TEUs next year.
“We are also adding capacity by improving productivity and enhancing the capability of our equipment. For instance, we are enhancing our yard management and upgrading the capacity of our first generation quay cranes. So, we not only build more berths but also ensure that we handle more volume per quay metre within our existing berths,” said Azlan.
Beyond that, PTP’s next phase of development, consisting of eight more berths, would raise capacity to over 15 million TEUs.
“This phase will require dredging and land reclamation. In fact, our long term masterplan envisages a capacity of 150 million TEUs, five times the current volume of Singapore,” he said.
Last year, PTP recorded a year-on-year growth of 15% in volume to 7.5 million TEUs. A key contributor to volume growth was the selection of PTP as one of seven ports worldwide for the new “Daily Maersk” service.
“This initiative by Maersk offers daily on-time delivery at the seven mega ports in Asia and North Europe, which is something new in the shipping industry.
“We are also pleased that volumes from our other existing customers such as Evergreen and CMA CGM have grown substantially,” he said.
PTP had also received new shipping lines in 2011, including Mitsui and K-Line of Japan, China Shipping and four Korean lines - Hanjin, STX Pan Ocean, Sinokor and Heung A.
“So, there has been growth from existing customers as well as volume from new customers,” he said.

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