Kemaman Port Authority chairman Datuk Azan Ismail
KUALA TERENGGANU: Kemaman Port’s expansion, encompassing three key components, is expected to be completed by 2028, the Kemaman Port Authority chairman Datuk Azan Ismail said.
Azan said the authority obtained approval from the Department of Environment (DOE) for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report last December, allowing reclamation work on a 22.66-hectare site to commence this month.
He added that the reclamation process, expected to conclude in the second quarter of this year, will be followed by the expansion of the wharf and construction of a breakwater, projected to cost between RM1.5 billion and RM1.8 billion.
"The reclamation, estimated at around RM200 million, will create additional space for port activities, including cargo handling, warehousing, and maritime operations.
"On the East Coast, there are only two commercial ports-Kemaman and Kuantan-which act as catalysts for maritime-driven economic growth. The government therefore sees the need to expand Kemaman Port, which has long served as a feeder for the oil and gas industry,” he said.
He made the remarks during the Kemaman Port Authority’s Back To School programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pusat Chabang Tiga, here today.
Azan further noted that the investment in the port expansion is expected to triple the project’s gross development value, reaching between RM6 billion and RM7 billion.
He added that the port expansion also aims to prepare for increased operations once the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project is fully operational early next year. - Bernama
