KUANTAN: Kuantan Port, which has a cargo handling capacity of 50 million tonnes annually, is set to undergo further expansion to cope with the growing demand from investors.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said as talks with several investors entered the final stages, the port operators Kuantan Port Consortium (KPC) Sdn Bhd and the Kuantan Port Authority had set their eyes on expansion plans.
"They (the Pahang government) are in talks with foreign investors and once finalised, the operators will start the expansion plans. Under Phase Two, a 1km deep water terminal with a handling capacity of 20,000 million tonnes will be built.
"Currently, Kuantan Port has a handling capacity of 50,000 million tonnes a year and once Phase Two is complete, the handling capacity will increase to 70,000 million tonnes. Due to the arrival of new investors and setting up of factories at Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) and Gebeng Industrial Area, the transportation demand will surely increase," he told reporters after a working visit at Kuantan Port here today where he also launched the port's Green Policy.
Wee said the current development plans at Kuantan Port is among the early initiatives taken by the port operators to attract investors and be full-prepared to cater to the growing demands.
"We need to be prepared when potential investors or the industry players arrive as there will be a lot of import and export activities. If there is further need, the expansion under Phase Three will involve the land reclamation process for a new breakwater and terminal which will further increase the handling capacity by another 20,000 million tonnes.
"I was informed that the Pahang government had developed a comprehensive development plan for Gebeng that would connect MCKIP and the other areas near the port. If everything falls into place then the expansion under phase two and three will be a strategic move," he said.
In 2015, KPC invested RM3 billion to build a new deep water terminal while the government allocated RM1 billion to build a 4.7km breakwater at the port.
Wee also said despite experiencing a drop in cargo handling activities last year largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kuantan Port is projected to see a five percent growth this year.
He said the handling of cargo last year was only 22.9 million freight weight tonnes (FWT) compared to 27.3 million FWT recorded in 2020.
"As we move into the post-Covid era, the economy is on track to recovery so we expect better cargo and container handling this year. Kuantan Port is expected to see a five percent or more cargo handling projection this year," he said.
On the Green Policy at Kuantan Port, Wee said among the measures adopted by the port were deploying rubber tyred gantry cranes, utilising electronic-platforms and limiting vehicle movements within the port area to reduce carbon emission.