Johor Port Authority plans PTP expansion

JOHOR BARU: The Johor Port Authority (JPA) is planning to expand the port-handling operations and related activities at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) next year.

JPA general manager Muhammad Razif Ahmad said the cost to expand the facilities and capacity at the port under phase three of the development plan was estimated at about RM5bil.

He said the major investment would go into the construction of new berths to handle a surge in cargo-handling volume in the next 10 years.

Razif said PTP currently handled about 10.5 million tonnes of cargo yearly and the volume would rise to 15 million tonnes yearly when the project is completed in 2019.

“JPA and the management of PTP are always looking at how to further expand, develop and strengthen operations at the port from time to time,” he said after the opening of the Johor Port Week 2015.

Razif said presently PTP, which started operations in 2000, had 14 berths measuring five kilometres constructed under phase two.

He said under phase three of the expansion plan, three new berths of 1.5km in length would be built at the port, of which one of the berths is expected to be operational by 2018.

Razif said JPA had already outlined plans to further develop and strengthen PTP until 2045, as one of the major cargo ports in the region.

“Prospects for port operations in Johor are bright in the coming years with the massive development taking place, especially in the southern-most part of the state,” he said.

Razif said the development of the southern-most parts of Johor into a new regional oil and gas (O&G) hub would boost operations at Johor ports, including in cargo-handling volume. He said the O&G hub covering Tanjung Langsat in Pasir Gudang and the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex would further boost operations of Johor ports.