Mior (left) along with Bintulu Port chairman Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa during the press conference yesterday.


File photo shows a ship docked at Bintulu Port.

10/05/2014 (Borneo Post) - Port operator Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd (Bintulu Port) foresees higher container throughput this year supported by its ongoing expansion to cater to rising demand of cargoes services to sustain its forward earnings.

Bintulu Port’s group chief executive officer (CEO) Dato Mior Ahmad Baiti told reporters yesterday that the port operator expects to handle about 290,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo capacity this year from 250,353 TEUs seen in 2013.

The figure represents a double-digit growth of about 16 per cent from the previous year.

“We expect to handle a higher container throughput this year estimated at 290,000 TEU.

“The increased volume will be supported by more project cargoes, export cargoes from major growth sectors namely palm oil products, dry bulk cargoes, containerised cargoes and oil and gas services,” he said after the company’s 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM) here yesterday.

Bintulu Port intends to develop additional berths, warehouse and storage space at the second inner harbour to meet increasing demand for the dry bulk and break bulk cargoes handled at its multi-purpose terminal, Mior added.

He also pointed out that Bintulu Port’s edible oil terminal, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Biport Bulkers Sdn Bhd (Biport Bulkers) is increasing capacity through the development of additional 25 units storage tanks which is in line with the increasing palm oil activities in Sarawak.

The expansion will provide additional 53,000 million tonne s(mt) of storage capacity to the current 101,600 mt storage capacity and the project is scheduled to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2014.

Addtionally, he said the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary Samalaju Industrial Port Sdn Bhd would start its interim operation with the completion of two barge berths and one ro-ro ramp.

“The interim phase will allow plant operators at Samalaju Industrial Park to import their raw material or project cargo using barges or smaller size vessels directly to Samalaju,” he observed.

Mior noted that cargo can also be exported using barges to Bintulu Port for transhipment through the interim facilities.

In the meantime, he observed that Samalaju Industrial Port has its first vessel called on the port on April 21, 2014 at its interim facilities.

“While the interim phase is in operation, construction are underway and progressing well as planned for the whole Phase One Development of Samalaju Industrial Port.