Construction of a new deepwater terminal at Kuantan Port on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia will kick off at the end of this year.
Once completed in two or three years’ time, the MYR3 billion (US$943 million) project will double the port’s capacity to 52 million freight weight tonnes (FWT) per year, elevating it into a mega port from its current feeder port status.
The expansion includes the construction of a new wharf, procurement of equipment, and dredging.
According to port owner IJM Corp Bhd, the first phase of the development is expected to cost MYR2 billion.
The expansion is being undertaken to attract big container and bulk ships to call at the port as well as to enlarge its capacity before it reaches its maximum handling limit in the next few years.
The development of Kuantan Port is part of the country’s east coast economic region master plan, whereby the port will be transformed into an integrated industrial and logistics hub for the region.
The Kuantan industrial blueprint calls for the building of an integrated bio-park, a bio-fuel industrial cluster, a downstream petrochemical cluster, iron and steel industries, and an automotive cluster.
