BANGLADESH's Chittagong port is ploughing full steam ahead with its modernisation plans after handling 2,808,554 TEU in the last fiscal year (2017-18), an increase of 12.2 per cent compared to the previous year.
The port set new records in March by handling one TEU per minute at berth 13 and 3,654 containers within 72 hours at the berth, reported The Bangladesh Post.
The port has already procured modern equipment to increase cargo handling and plans to continue developing to boost the nation's trade.
Said Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) chairman Commodore Zulfikar Aziz: 'Management of the increased handling of containers is posing a big challenge for the CPA now. We have already undertaken many short-term, mid-term and long-term plans to make the Chittagong port a most modern one to meet the challenges of the future.'
He continued: 'As per directives of the government, we have decided to start the new mooring container terminal (NCT) by procuring more equipment. Meanwhile, we have already procured nine rubber-tired gantry cranes, four straddle carriers, five container movers, one rail mounted gantry crane.'
Commodore Aziz said that the CPA has already opened a letter of credit for procuring six ship-to-shore gantry cranes, two rubber-tyred gantry cranes and one mobile harbour crane. The authority also plans to sign an agreement to purchase three straddle carriers.
'Ninety-two per cent of the exports and imports of Bangladesh are being conducted through the Chittagong. We handled a total of 98 per cent of our containers in the current year, while Mongla port handled only two per cent of containers,' he said.
CPA has also introduced strict limits on how long a ship may remain in port in a bid to speed up the loading and unloading of containers to reduce acute congestion and improve productivity.
The port set new records in March by handling one TEU per minute at berth 13 and 3,654 containers within 72 hours at the berth, reported The Bangladesh Post.
The port has already procured modern equipment to increase cargo handling and plans to continue developing to boost the nation's trade.
Said Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) chairman Commodore Zulfikar Aziz: 'Management of the increased handling of containers is posing a big challenge for the CPA now. We have already undertaken many short-term, mid-term and long-term plans to make the Chittagong port a most modern one to meet the challenges of the future.'
He continued: 'As per directives of the government, we have decided to start the new mooring container terminal (NCT) by procuring more equipment. Meanwhile, we have already procured nine rubber-tired gantry cranes, four straddle carriers, five container movers, one rail mounted gantry crane.'
Commodore Aziz said that the CPA has already opened a letter of credit for procuring six ship-to-shore gantry cranes, two rubber-tyred gantry cranes and one mobile harbour crane. The authority also plans to sign an agreement to purchase three straddle carriers.
'Ninety-two per cent of the exports and imports of Bangladesh are being conducted through the Chittagong. We handled a total of 98 per cent of our containers in the current year, while Mongla port handled only two per cent of containers,' he said.
CPA has also introduced strict limits on how long a ship may remain in port in a bid to speed up the loading and unloading of containers to reduce acute congestion and improve productivity.