BANGLADESH's Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) will restrict ships carrying less than 1,000 TEU and give priority to large ships carrying a 'good number' of containers in order to boost port productivity and performance
BANGLADESH's Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) will restrict ships carrying less than 1,000 TEU and give priority to large ships carrying a 'good number' of containers in order to boost port productivity and performance. The CPA introduced the measure to cut vessel wait times and the long queue in the outer anchorage. According to the authority, often times vessels with a capacity of 1,200- to 1,500-TEU arrive at the port with just 500 to 600 TEU on board.
However, while returning to transshipment ports from Chittagong they travel with 1,000 to 1,200 TEU of laden and empty containers, reported IHS Media.
'As we brought in three key gantry cranes and more are coming, we want to bring in big vessels instead of small ones, to reduce the wait time and the long queue in the outer bar,' CPA chairman Commodore Zulfiqur Aziz told JOC.com. 'We will also give priority to gearless vessels as we have gantry cranes now. Gearless vessels can carry more containers than geared ones.'
Mr Aziz said vessels should arrive with a full capacity load, carrying the maximum number of containers possible, so that a smaller number of vessels can a carry high volume of goods.
The new gantry cranes are being installed at the place where vessels with a 9.5-metre draft can take berth.
Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association chairman Ahsanul Huq Chowdhury told JOC.com he welcomed the decision, saying that if big ships come with a full load, the import cargo at transshipment ports in Colombo and Singapore won't experience many days of delays.
'But the port authority has to ensure that these big vessels won't be forced to wait a long time due to low water draft,' Mr Chowdhury said. He said the port's existing cranes can handle 15 to 20 boxes per hour. The new gantry cranes will be able to handle 30 to 35 boxes per hour.
With the faster cranes, unloading a 1,000-TEU ship will take 1.5 days and reloading will take a similar amount of time. As a result, a ship will be able to leave the port 72 hours after berth, he said.
