WESTPORTS Malaysia Sdn Bhd has achieved a strong 19% throughput growth to a total 1.16 million TEUs (20ft-equivalent units) for the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31 against the same period last year.

Westports said in a statement that it achieved 976,832 TEUs during the corresponding quarter last year.
The port also handled a throughput of 421,637 TEUs last month, the highest ever achieved in a single month to date. This bodes well for the port to achieve its targeted figure of five million TEUs by year-end.

In the three-month period, the handling of local boxes also grew impressively from 266,693 TEUs in Q1 last year to 351,624 TEUs in the period under review, reflecting a 32% growth.

The statement said Westports had targeted to achieve a volume of 1.5 million local containers this year.
Transshipment activities from January to March reached 730,101 TEUs, up 13.6% from 644,449 TEUs achieved during the corresponding period last year.

Westports' container volume last year totalled 4.3 million TEUs, including 1.3 million local boxes.
Current market share for Westports at Port Klang is 62%.

Executive director Ruben Emir Gnanalingam said in the statement that the first quarter achievement reflected the support of all the company’s shipping line customers.

“We are delighted with the current buoyant performance and the 19% overall growth in the first quarter of 2008,” he said.

“Additionally, our determination to meet our customers’ expanding needs has driven us to continuously upgrade our infrastructure, increase the capacity of the terminal yards and supply them with modern machinery.

“This is meant to efficiently handle our customers’ cargo as well as efficient services required by the new-generation mega-sized vessels,” he added.

The Star, 07.04.2008