LUMUT, Feb 8 (Bernama) -- Port operator, Lumut Maritime Terminal Sdn Bhd,(LMT) expects its five year old port in Lumut, Perak to see throughputgrowing at 20 percent a year over the next five years, its chief executiveoffice Harun Halim Rasip said.

The port could take in 28 percent more throughput at 1.6 milllion tonnesfrom 1.25 million tonnes in 2001, he told newsmen at a media briefing andtour of the port's facilities and operations. Throughput grew five percentin 2001.

Harun, however, said that the volume of the cargo would have to depend onhow LMT's customers are performing. The bulk of its business is from Perakbecause of the advantage gained through the use of Lumut Port.

With Tenaga Nasional Bhd's (TNB) Janamanjung fuel powered 2,100MW powerplant coming up soon in the area, it will provide a further boost to itsoperations in terms of the increase in liquid bulk throughput handled atthe port.

Harun is optimismitic on the potential growth in chemical cargo whichcould start to spin-off heavy for the port starting 2003. Apart from fuelto TNB Janamanjung power plant, the port operator also targets to handlemore oleochemicals such as palm oil.

Harun said that LMT focuses more on palm oil-related businesses as theoleochemical industry is one sector it is looking into. He reasoned thatthe oleochemical companies operating in its industrial park could takeadvantage of the port and the nearby Sumatra to outsource and export theirproducts.

This strategy is also closely related to the industrial land LMT owns anddevelops.

LMT aims to sell the industrial land nearby to targeted businesses whichwould make use of the Lumut port as transportation hub. This increases theport's throughput and LMT's bottomline, Harun said.

LMT's Lumut Industrial Park has more than 10 companies located there whichinclude Pasir Gudang Edible Oil, Palmco Holdings Bhd and Leong Hup. PasirGudang Edible Oil alone contributed 37 percent of the cargo handled by theport last year.

In 2001, throughput grew five percent. The tonnage handled last yearcomprised 48 percent of dry bulk, 37 percent liquid bulk and 15 percentconventional break bulk. Liquid bulk and dry break bulk expanded 22percent and 46 percent, respectively.

This was attributed by the surge in volume of project cargo handled, inparticular for the TNB's Janamanjung Power Plant in Lekir and imports ofrails for the Rawang-Ipoh Double Tracking project.

In view of the increased throughput, he said that the port operator hasadded two more berths over the years in its expansion programme from onlyone since it started operations in 1995. The additional berths cost LMTRM10 million to build.

The port can now handle at least 2.6 million tonnes, he added.

Last year, bulk cargo remained as the single largest group of cargohandled, taking up 84.5 percent or 1.049 million tonnes from 89.3 percentor 1.058 million tonnes.

Cargo mix comprised 47.9 percent or 594,616 tonnes drybulk, 36.6 percent(454,578 tonnes) liquid bulk, 15.3 percent (190,206 tonnes) breakbulk and0.2 percent (2,493 tonnes) containerised cargo.

Outbound traffic or exports accounted for 81.1 percent or 1.007 milliontonnes and inbound traffic or imports 18.9 percent (234,735 tonnes)against 85.1 percent (1,011,982 tonnes) exports and 14.9 percent (176,724tonnes) imports in 2000.

Consignment size per vessel call also increased by 8.6 percent to 4,677tonnes.-- BERNAMA