Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is getting ready to welcome the berthing of large sized vessels at its jetties from December this year in a bid to slash the cost incurred against import and export cargos handled through this premier port. Port officials said it would also gear up container handling operation by allowing the entry of big ships. ‘We already took measures to expand the width of port channel in addition to developing other infrastructures to facilitate the entry of large sized vessels to our jetties,’ said CPA member (operation) Mohammad Shahjahan.
‘We are on way to complete dredging works at port channel and its outer anchorage before December to ensure easy movement of large incoming and outgoing vessels which call at Chittagong port,’ he added.
He said, ‘We are getting fully ready to welcome the entry of large vessels of higher draught and length from December this year.’
‘Total development works for this purpose involved a cost of around Tk 35 crores. The port will herald a new era in ship handling from December as it will draw the attention of many more foreign shipping companies to send their cargo ships to this port,’ he said.
Some shipping lines from China, the Netherland and Singapore already evinced interest to send their big container ships to Chittagong port, he pointed out.
Chittagong port now allows entry of ships of 8.15 meter draught and 180 meter length, he informed.
The container ships normally loaded with 800 to 1200 TEUs (twenty equivalent units) containers are now allowed to enter inner jetties of Chittagong port.
The large vessels loaded with over 2,000 containers are required to stay at the outer anchorage and with the help of local lightering ships those containers are transported to the port jetties for delivery to the consignees. As a result, the handling cost goes up, port officials explained.
But from December, the ships with 10 meter draught and 190 meter length loaded with even 3,000 TEUs containers will be allowed to enter inside the port jetties and container terminals, helping to reduce the extra cost against lightering works at the outer anchorage, they pointed out.
On the other hand, entry of large vessels to the port jetties would raise the income of the port.
According to port officials, over 2,000 foreign cargo ships call at Chittagong port annually.
-With New Age input
