Batam, Indonesia – PT Waskita Beton Precast Tbk (WSBP) has signed a Rp360 billion ($25 million) contract with PT Persero Batam to build a new container yard (CY) and supporting infrastructure at Batu Ampar Port in Batam, Indonesia.
The project is expected to be completed within 16 months and will increase the port’s capacity from 550,000 TEUs per year to 900,000 TEUs per year.
“We are committed to completing the construction of the CY and its supporting infrastructure on time and to the promised quality,” said Waskita President Director FX Poerbayu Ratsunu.
Waskita’s scope of work will cover an area of 12 hectares, consisting of 9.98 hectares for the construction of the container yard and supporting infrastructure, and 2.2 hectares for the repair of the container yard.
The CY expansion is aimed at increasing the competitiveness of Batu Ampar Port and making Batam a maritime and logistics hub in Southeast Asia.
“This project is expected to modernize Batu Ampar Port and drive economic growth in Batam,” said Ratsunu.
Persero Batam President Director Arham S Torik added that the groundbreaking for the project will be held soon after the signing of the contract.
“The development of the CY is part of the overall development phase of Batu Ampar Port. The investment for the CY project reaches Rp360 billion from a total investment of Rp1.2 trillion,” Torik explained.
The CY expansion is expected to bring many benefits to Batam, one of which is increasing the number of containers that can be accommodated at the port.
“Previously, Batam has had direct calls to China, which provides logistics cost efficiency of US$700. With a port capacity of 1 million containers, Batam will become more competitive for investors,” Torik concluded.
Increasing Cargo Handling
Cargo handling at Batam’s container terminal in 2023 increased compared to the same period last year. In 2023, it reached 624,000 TEUs.
“Domestic and international container traffic increased by 8 percent. This shows a trend of increasing user confidence and satisfaction with the development of port infrastructure and superstructure,” said Head of the Public Relations, Promotion and Protocol Bureau of the Batam Investment Coordinating Board (BP Batam) Ariastuty Sirait, Tuesday, January 16, 2024.
Based on data from the BP Batam Port Authority, container traffic in 2022 reached 577,161 TEUs. Meanwhile, the realization of container traffic at Batam Port in 2023 reached 624,000 TEUs, with details: domestic containers of 167,000 TEUs and export-import container traffic of 457,000 TEUs. Ariastuty explained that of the total, 84 percent or 522,000 TEUs came from Batu Ampar Terminal, which has been officially operated by PT Persero Batam since November 1, 2023.
With that, he is optimistic that the number will continue to increase in line with the plan to develop Batu Ampar Container Terminal with an investment value of Rp3.8 trillion. “The development of Batu Ampar Container Terminal is one of the infrastructure development priorities initiated by the Head of the Batam Investment Coordinating Board,” he said.
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