CPA plans to raise container handling capacity of Ctg Port

CHATTOGRAM May 16: The container handling capacity of Chattogram Port, prime seaport of the country, will increase to four million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) by December 2023 next.
In this connection, Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has been procuring a total of 104 equipment including two gantry cranes, 23 mobile cranes of 10- tonne capacity at a cost of Taka 900 crore for use in the container handling in port yards and the terminals. Those equipment will arrive in the port by December 2023 next. Currently, the CPA have a total of 374 equipment including 160 container and 214 for cargo handling.
With the procurement of 104 equipment, the total number of equipment will increase to 478 by December 2023 next.
Aminul Islam Chief Mechanical Engineer of CPA told the Daily Observer that the annual cargo and container handling capacity of the Chattogram Port would increase substantially with the procurement more equipment.
Besides, a total of 104 equipment including 8 gantry cranes will be procured to speed up the container handling activities of the port, he said. The equipment include 4 quay gantry cranes, 2 mobile cranes (100 tonne capacity), 2 mobile cranes with 50 tonne capacity, 2 mobile cranes with 30 tonne capacity, 12 mobile cranes with 20 tonne capacity, 23 mobile cranes with 10 tonne capacity, 11 rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTG), 21 4-high Straddle carriers, 6 2-high Straddle carriers, 4 reach stakers, 2 Container movers, 4 variable reach trucks and others.Meanwhile, the Chattogram Port has been continuing the operation of the containers with 374 equipment including 14 quay gantry cranes and 5 mobile harbour cranes.
The Chattogram Port has already been handling over 3 million TEUs of container annually.
Besides, the handling of container has been increasing day by day in the Chattogram Port. So, it needs more equipment to handle the containers more easily and comfortably.
Meanwhile, CPA handled over 3.214 million TEUs of containers, 116.619 million tonnes of cargo and 4209 ships in the past 2021.
CPA sources said, all index of operational functions have increased in the past years.
CPA handled 2.83 million TEUs of containers in 2020 last and 3.08 million TEUs in 2019 last.
Meanwhile, the Chattogram Port had handled 30,97,236 TEUs of containers during the fiscal 2020-21. Among the handled containers, the imported goods were about 16.58 lakh TEUs and the remaining 14.38 lakh TEUs were export products.
Besides, cargo handling has been around 11 crore 37 lakh tonnes in the outgoing fiscal.  Besides, 4,062 ships have arrived and left the Chattogram port in the same period. In addition, larger ships are now able to dock at the port jetty and the port authorities consider it one of the successes.  The Chattogram Port had attained 11.98 per cent growth rate in cargo handling, 3.09 per cent in container handling and 7.92 per cent in ships handling during the 2020-21 fiscal.