Westports Gets Green Light to Expand Container Facilities

Malaysian port operator Westports Holdings Berhad (Westports) informed that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd (WMSB), has received an approval-in-principle (AiP) to expand its container facilities from Container Terminal 10 (CT10) to Container Terminal (CT19).

The approval was granted by the Government of Malaysia (GoM) in a letter dated August 23, 2017. The move would be an extension from the current CT1 to CT9 development.

The terms and conditions of the proposed expansion are subjected to further deliberations between the GoM and WMSB, Westports said.

With the AiP, the company will now commence and undertake studies required before finalizing the terms and conditions with the GoM.

“The proposed expansion from CT10 to CT19 can potentially increase the total handling capacity of Westports up to 30 million TEUs per annum, and further strengthen Port Klang as the pre-eminent port for the nation’s gateway trade as well as a transshipment hub in the region. The approval also reflects the GoM’s commitment to prioritise Port Klang as the load centre of Malaysia,” Ruben Emir Gnanalingam, the Chief Executive Officer of Westports, commented.

During the first half of this year, Westports saw a 5 percent decrease in its total throughput volumes, mainly due to the ongoing changes in the container shipping industry. The company handled 4.66 million TEUs during the first half, compared to 4.9 million TEUs recorded in the corresponding period a year earlier.