Bintulu Port expects positive growth from port expansion
Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd (Bintulu Port) is poised to see growth via liquefied natural gas (LNG) as its major cargo handled for the total cargo throughput in 2013 and 2014, the company said in its press release.
The port handler is also expected to see steady growth of palm oil products cargo this year, which is estimated to continue in line with the increase in palm oil plantation in Sarawak.
In addition, the dry bulk sector is set to see encouraging growth for the next two years and is expected to contribute positively to Bintulu Port.
“For 2013 and 2104, the outlook seems to be promising with overall modest growth in cargo throughput with certain cargo sector showing strong growth potential,” the port operator said in an interview with The Borneo Post.
“It is our hope that in 2014 the industrial development in Sarawak will contribute and fuel the cargo growth for Bintulu Port.
“In 2014, new cargo composition such as aluminum products, manganese products, silicon products, pulp and paper products, bio-diesel, downstream timber products and agri produces shall make its way through Bintulu Port,” explained Dato Mior Ahmad Baiti Mior Lub Ahmad, chief executive officer of Bintulu Port.
Overall in 2013, the company is expected to registered growth of about four to six per cent from year 2012 cargo throughput of 41.157 million tonnes with LNG is estimated to maintain the major cargo handled at the port of the total cargo throughput.
“Break Bulk cargo sector will contribute a positive growth mainly spurred by an increased in the handling of general cargo.
“These include the project cargoes which is mean for Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) related constructions plants and MLNG Train Project.
Other potential cargo sectors that will fuel the growth at Bintulu Port are from the offshore oil and gas industries,” it added.
Meanwhile, the port operator projected that its non-LNG sector is expected an average annual growth about five to six per cent.
The Dry Bulk sector is expected to see major contributions in terms of volume from the bulk fertilizer, alumina, woodchips, palm kernel products (expeller and shells) and clinkers while containerisation shipment is expected to see growth in 2014, especially for timber products, and rice and fertilizer shipment.
Additionally, the port’s container growth is expected to be boosted by increased export and import from SCORE generated cargo and expected increased in Sarawak transshipment container.
On its plans for 2014, Bintulu Port said to keep up with the increasing demand while at the same time striving to achieve our overall vision of becoming a world-class LNG port and the port of Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd (BPSB) has identified development plans to be implemented in the coming years.
The development in 2014 would be focused in providing sufficient capacities with enhancement to service delivery.
“In terms of container, BPSB’s Bintulu International Container Terminal (BICT) is in the midst of completing its MT container storage yard in line with the demand from shipping lines to repositioning their empty containers in Bintulu to serve the growing industries.
“This expansion will increase the terminal handling capacity specifically for storage operation,” it said, noting that currently, its container terminal is operating at 52 per cent capacity.
On the other hand, Bintulu Port’s edible oil terminal, through Biport Bulkers Sdn Bhd (Biport Bulkers) is improving its capacity through the development of additional storage tanks in line with the increasing palm oil activities in Sarawak which has been recognised as the final frontier in Malaysia’s palm oil industry.
“Biport Bulkers is currently building another 25 units of storage tanks that will give additional 53,000 metric tonnes of storage capacity adding it to the current 101,600 metric tonnes of storage capacity.
This project is schedule to be completed by August 2014.
“Plan is also underway for the development of barge berth at the palm oil jetty.
This, added with its global standard of 430 tonnes per hour pumping rate, the terminal is expected to be able to cater to current and future demand,” the port operator highlighted.
Finally, BPSB has identified an increase in oil and gas activities within Bintulu/Sarawak waters indicating a potential for BPSB to invest in.
“BPSB intends to develop dedicated terminal or supply base to handle the oil and gas vessels and its related operation.
“The dedicated terminal is scheduled to be in operation in 2016.
Currently, in 2013, Bintulu Port received and served 3,100 offshore supply vessels and crew boat.