Malaysian port handles 11.2 million TEUs, eyes further expansion

January 10, 2022, by Ajsa Habibic

Malaysian container terminal operator Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) has registered a total of 11.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) throughput at the end of 2021, representing a 14% increase in its yearly volume as compared to 9.8 million TEUs in 2020.

As informed, the joint venture between Malaysia’s MMC Group and The Hague’s APM Terminals became the first container terminal in Malaysia to surpass the 11 million TEUs throughput volume in a year.

The milestone is said to position the port as one of the top 15 container terminals and among the top five single port operators in the world.

According to the Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA), PTP also revealed its plans to invest approximately $178 million to expand the port capacity this year.

Marco Nelseen, CEO of PTP, said that the investment would see the port capacity grow to 12.5 million TEUs within the next six months expanding terminal footprint.

Furthermore, the investment aims to focus on improving efficiency and customer experience with the development of an 81-acre site in Tanjung Adang as part of the free zone expansion. The site development is expected to be concluded by early 2022, Nelseen said.

In the recent news, the Dutch Port of Rotterdam received the 15 millionth TEU container of the year marking the first time that a European port has broken this record.

On 22 December, the container arrived in Rotterdam on board MSC Erica, a 13,300 TEU ultra-large container vessel (ULCV) operated by the Swiss Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).