10 new cranes to boost Ctg Port capacity

Pankaj Dastider | Published: February 28, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

CHITTAGONG, Feb 27: Handling and delivery of general and bulk cargo in the Chittagong Port will grow further by the end of March as the installation of equipment has started in full swing, officials said.
Chief Engineer (Mechanical) of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Mohd Khairul Mostafa said the imported cranes are being installed in the bulk cargo jetties.
He hoped that the cranes will be in operation within the next three to four weeks which will expedite cargo handling and delivery from the prime maritime port of Chittagong.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has procured 10 mobile cranes of 10-ton capacity each from Germany at a total cost of Tk 270 million. The cranes reached Chittagong Port a month back, the official said.
With the addition of the imported cranes the number of cranes for handling general and bulk cargo now stands at 173.
"When the new cranes get operational, the port users will receive delivery of cargo within a shorter time and efficiency of the port will grow further," Engineer Mostafa said.
Experts from Germany arrived at the port to install the equipment. They have left for their country on completion of their task and CPA engineers are now working to install the equipment, he told this correspondent this noon.
"No import consignments of equipment are currently in the pipeline," he said adding that some equipment will be procured during this calendar year.
Currently there are 17 cranes for handling cargo in the general berths. Of those, six cranes were procured in 1997 and six others 2000. But the lifetime of those cranes have almost expired as they were used for over 12 years, port sources said.
In 2012, the CPA procured two cranes of 50-ton capacity, three cranes of 20-ton capacity, three forklifts of 10-ton capacity, 10 low-mast forklifts of 10-ton capacity and last year (2013) it procured two cranes of 20-ton capacity, one fork-lift of 10-ton capacity and 20 low-mast forklift of three-ton capacity.
On the other hand, the port has 203 equipment including four qua-gantry cranes of 40-ton capacity, 15 rubber-tire gantry cranes, two mobile harbour cranes of 84-ton capacity and 36 straddle carrier of 40-ton capacity.
Berth operators association has been alleging that cargo handling, especially at the general and bulk cargo berths of the port, was running short of necessary equipment.
"We are happy that the CPA has bought some mobile cranes for expediting work in the general berths. But we have been demanding installation of the heavy duty equipment for a long time which is yet to be procured," said Berth Operators and Ship Handling Operators Association chairman Fazle Ikram.
"The prime maritime port needs 50-ton capacity heavy-lift cranes in the jetty for unloading heavy-duty industrial machinery as the operators are now facing obstacles in smooth handling of cargo," he added.