Penang invests in port growth

These will include extension of the harbour area, deepening of the draught and the acquisition of six new post-panamax quayside gantry cranes, boosting capacity to 1m teu annually.

Two of the cranes will be delivered in February, where they will join the existing complement of seven. Draught is to be deepened to 14 metres to enable 7,000 teu vessels to be accommodated; the current limit is 3,000 teu ships. The lack of sufficient quayside lift has meant that throughput rose by just 0.7% last year to 800,000 teu. The port authority has also raised its charges, effective February 15. Port dues for ships over 150m in length now stand at RM21.45 per metre.