RM229 MILLION TO UPGRADE SABAH PORTS

OPERATIONS .....Container operations at the Sabah Container Port.

A TOTAL of RM229 million has been allocated to upgrade Sabah Ports facilities over the next two years, according to Suria Capital Holdings Group Managing Director Datuk Dr Mohd Fowzi Razi. Sabah Ports is a  subsidiary of Suria Capital Holdings Berhad.

Datuk Dr Mohd Fowzi Razi said the improvement works involve berth extension at the Sandakan Port and jetty extension of the Sapangar Bay Oil Terminal (SBOT) to forestall potential congestion In the future.

“Sabah Ports is looking forward to providing better berthing facilities at Sandakan Port and Sapangar Bay Oil Terminal in view of the increase in berth occupancy,” he said.

According to him, the commencement of these two projects is expected to be sometime  in 2013 and is expected to take two years to complete. after its initiation. Additionally, container and cargo handling equipment will also be installed for these two ports.

Dr. Fowzi  also revealed plans to increase Sabah Ports’ container equipment fleet at Sapangar Bay Container Port (SBCP), Sandakan Port and Tawau Port.

“This includes one additional unit of ship-to-shore Gantry Crane to add to the existing two units already available at the SBCP.”

In addition, Sabah Ports will also acquire a new mobile harbour crane to further improve the loading and discharging of containers at the Sandakan Port.

All three ports together with the Lahad Datu Port will also be provided with additional transfer and yard container equipment by the end of 2013.

Ongoing efforts to study the requirements to further improve the port services in Sabah will also cover other ports.

Sabah Ports manages eight of the ports in Sabah, namely Kota Kinabalu Port, Sapangar Bay Container Port, Sapangar Bay Oil Terminal, Sandakan Port, Tawau Port, Lahad Datu Port, Kunak Port and Kudat Port.

Many of these ports are located at the vicinity of major facilities that contributes to the economic growth in Sabah.

SBOT is a dedicated terminal for refined petroleum and chemical products of major oil and gas handlers like Petronas, Shell and Esso, while the Sandakan Port, the second busiest port in Sabah, is located within the vicinity of the palm oil producing areas in East Coast Sabah.

The Lahad Datu Port is located close to the up-and-coming Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) development area, that is setto be the east coast central hub for the import of bulk fertilizer. (Insight Sabah)