Hutchison Ports to double handling capacity by next yearend

KARACHI: Hutchison Ports Pakistan, the country’s first deepwater container terminal, is expected to complete the second phase of its $600 million project by the next yearend to more than double the handling capacity, its senior official said on Monday.

“First phase of Hutchison Ports commenced its commercial operations in February 2017, and at present it has the annual handling capacity of 1.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units),” Rashid Jamil, general manager of Hutchison Ports Pakistan said.

“The second phase is expected to complete by the end of 2020.” Situated at the estuary of the Keamari Groyne basin, the terminal provides the most convenient access to ships. The new facility is the closest Pakistan’s port to the shipping lanes in the Arabian Sea. It is a deep seaport and can accommodate two mega vessels at a time. The terminal has eight unmanned rubber tyred gantry cranes, which would be increased to 16 by the end of next year, according to the company’s official.

Hutchison Ports offers a quayside depth of 16 meters to meet the growing shipping needs in the country. “Depending on commercial requirements, this may be deepened to 18 meters in the future,” Jamil added.

“Equipped with state of the art cranes, Hutchison Ports Pakistan is one of the most efficient container terminals in the region.” Analysts said the country’s trade in the last two years has been stagnant in terms of TEUs, while foreign trade has so far declined by five percent.

“Hutchison expects the trade to grow significantly going forward, which is why we have been investing in the country,” Rashid said. The official said the terminal also plans to lay railway tracks and run trains within the terminal for efficient movement of containerised cargo.

Hutchison Ports is the port and related services division of CK Hutchison Holdings Limited. It is the world’s leading port investor, developer and operator with a network of 51 ports, spanning 26 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australasia.