Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated on September 13 the first newly built container terminal of the New Priok Port project, an extension of Tanjung Priok, Indonesia’s busiest port that is located in North Jakarta.
The new terminal, called New Priok Container Terminal 1 (NPCT 1), is the first of five expansion phases at Tanjung Priok port. Construction of the first terminal started in 2012.
During inauguration rites, Widodo urged state-owned Pelindo II, the developer and operator of New Priok Port, to speed up the development of the mega-project and seek cooperation with the private sector if necessary.
The head of state ordered the construction of the second and third box terminals and the two product terminals by 2019.
“It should be completed as soon as possible,” he said, as quoted by Antara News. “The work must be done in two or three shifts, and not one shift.”
“If Pelindo II does not have adequate funds, it should invite investors,” he added.
Widodo wants the New Priok Port finished as soon as possible as it is seen to give a big boost to Indonesia’s competitiveness, making the country a stronger player in international seaborne trade.
The freshly completed terminal adds 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) to the port’s existing 7 million TEUs of annual capacity.
Elvyn G M, president director of Pelindo II, said: “It is expected that by 2019, with the completion of the container terminals I, II, III and product terminals IV and V, the total capacity will increase to 11.5 million TEUs.”
NPCT 1 has a total quay length of 850 meters and a draft of 16 meters, enabling vessels carrying 10,000 TEUs from Europe and East Asia to berth at the port. It is equipped with eight cranes that can move 30 containers per hour and 20 electricity-powered rubber-tired gantries.
For the long term, the state envisions Jakarta becoming the key hub for sea transportation in Southeast Asia, a position currently held by Singapore.
Dwell time at Tanjung Priok is now between 3.2 and 3.7 days, said the report. This is down from more than seven days two years ago, when the President ordered the reduction of dwelling time at every Indonesian seaport.
After the New Priok Port is completed, Widodo expects dwell time to drop further to two days. This will also contribute to pushing down logistics costs in Indonesia, currently about 2.5 times higher than those in its neighboring countries.
Photo courtesy of Presiden Joko Widodo/Facebook
