Kuantan Port celebrated Chinese New Yearby giving back to the community at three charity homes, Grannies Old Folks Home, Rapha’s Children Home and Pusat Penjagaan Kanak-Kanak Terencat Akal. Their faces beamed with joy as they welcomed the #ProjekOrangPort team.
“Terima kasih”, Thank you”, “Xie xie” kept coming out of their mouths to express their happiness and appreciation for this visit.
KUANTAN, Jan 16 — The amount of cargo handled at the Kuantan Port here is expected to increase by five per cent this year, from 22.9 million tonnes in 2021, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong.
He expects activity at the port, which has been operating since 1984, to be boosted with the presence of more investors in Kuantan, besides the improving economy after it was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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“Cargo handling last year dropped from 27.3 million tonnes in 2020 due to the pandemic, which affected many economic sectors.
“However, if you compare it with 2019, it actually increased by 4.5 per cent, which shows the huge potential of the Kuantan Port,” he told a media conference after launching the Kuantan Port Green Policy 2021-2030 here today.
Also present were Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Isham Ishak, Kuantan Port Authority chairman Tan Sri Tengku Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar, Pahang Public Works, Transport and Health Committee chairman Datuk Seri Norolazali Sulaiman.
Looking at the rapid development of Kuantan, Wee said work to expand the Kuantan Port had already been implemented to increase its cargo handling capacity to 50 million tonnes per year for now, 70 million tonnes for phase two and 90 million tonnes when completed.
Phase two of the expansion plan, according to him, involved the extension of the existing 1-kilometre (km) deep water terminal while the subsequent phase would involve the reclamation process for a new breakwater and terminal.
Although there is no date set for the completion of phase two of the expansion work, Wee said it was in the final stages of negotiations with potential investors.
Wee also hoped that the process could be completed within the same period as the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) Project that is expected to be ready in December 2026, as the route is set to be the ‘land bridge’ connecting the Kuantan Port and Port Klang in Selangor, thus facilitating the cargo deliver process as well as save time and cost.
“This expansion is necessary to meet current needs that are growing rapidly with the existence of the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) here, besides the Gebeng Special Development Plan in Kuantan that is being implemented by the Pahang government.
“This will increase investment and the import-export activities in Kuantan. The location of the Kuantan Port in the South China Sea makes it a vital route to Japan and China compared to Port Klang or Penang, which requires (ships) to head south of the peninsula before entering the South China Sea,” he said.
On the Kuantan Port green policy, Wee said that, among others, it involved the objective of ensuring quality air, land and sea cleanliness; waste management was always at optimal level; expanding energy and water resource efficiency; and driving towards a smart port operating ecosystem.
There are five strategic thrusts to achieve the objective, among them include implementing initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint at the port, reduce the level of air and sea pollution at the port as well as systematic waste management control. — Bernama
KUANTAN: Kuantan Port Consortium Sdn Bhd has introduced the Kuantan Port Green Policy to promote environmental sustainability and guide port development and operations from 2021 to 2030.
The green policy was launched by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, who visited Kuantan Port on Sunday (Jan 16).
“Under this Green Policy, digitalisation and energy efficiency are key strategies in line with the Government’s National Transport Policy to maintain the ecosystem affected by the port and reduce carbon emissions by 30%,” Dr Wee said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
The MCA president added that these efforts would entail technology investments such as hybrid rubber-tyred gantries, reducing vehicle traffic, using more renewable energy and installing more automation within the port.
Also present during the launch were Pahang Works, Transport and Health Committee chairman Datuk Seri Norolazali Sulaiman, Kuantan Port Authority (KPA) chairman Tan Sri Tengku Azlan Ibni Sultan Abu Bakar, deputy chairman Quek Tai Seong, general manager Datuk Khairul Anuar Abdul Rahman, IJM CEO and general manager Liew Hau Seng, Beibu deputy general manager Lu Yong and Kuantan Port chief operating officer Mazlim Husin.
KUANTAN: The expansion of the Kuantan Port in Gebeng here is vital as it will form part of the upcoming East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) “land bridge”, says Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
He said Kuantan was a very important city in the east coast with many business and industrial activities located here.
“Once the ECRL is completed, it will form a land bridge connecting Port Klang to Kuantan Port.
“As Kuantan faces the South China Sea, this is very important if we want to shorten the travel time to Korea, Japan and China. There will be no need to go through the Straits of Malacca and around the peninsula,” Dr Wee said after his visit to Kuantan Port on Sunday (Jan 16).
He said cargo handling at the port had shown encouraging growth before the pandemic although it dropped by 16.2% with 22.9 million tonnes handled last year.
“This is compared to 2020 which had 27.3 million tonnes in cargo handled. But when we look at the growth in 2019, it showed an increase of 4.5%.
“There is high potential here and it will require strategic planning,” he said.
He added that the Kuantan Port Consortium and the state government were attracting potential investors to the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) and if this was finalised, further expansions would be necessary.
“These investments will bring about high imports and exports of raw materials and completed products. That is why we have to prepare now.
“I have also been informed that the state government has a special development plan for Gebeng, with MCKIP and its surrounding areas connected to the port. It will surely have a high impact for locals,” he said.
Asked if there were any plans to bring in cruise liners to Kuantan Port, Dr Wee said the focus was on the main activity of the port besides other factors to consider such as the east coast’s exposure to monsoons.
During his visit, Dr Wee also launched Kuantan Port’s 2021-2030 green policy.
He said among other initiatives, the port was already using hybrid rubber tyred gantry cranes and also controlling the number of vehicles entering the port to reduce the impact on the environment.
In a Facebook post Dr Wee said he had inspected Kuantan Port’s original KP1 service terminal as well as KP2, which will be expanded with a 1km deep water terminal in Phase Two of the port’s expansion plan.
“It is exciting to see the Port’s further development as a major component of the East Coast industrial hub of Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) and Gebeng Industrial Park (GIP).
“With the expansion of the port, we hope to raise the handling capacity of Kuantan Port from about 27 million tonnes of cargo per year in 2020 to 50 million tonnes of cargo,” Dr Wee said after his official visit to the port on Sunday (Jan 16).
He said under a further Phase Three expansion, which is a reclamation process for a new breakwater and terminal, the port’s yearly container capacity should increase to between 70 and 90 million tonnes, the MCA president said.
