Construction of KCT will be delayed
Monday, 10 September 2007
Jasim Uddin Haroon
The construction of the Karnaphuli Container Terminal (KCT) in Chittagong that was due to start in July last will be delayed as the Ministry of Shipping (MoS) is busy handing over the operation of New Mooring Container Terminal.
There is no progress on the construction of the KCT project worth Tk 8.20 billion as the proposal has been lying with the MoS since March last.
According to the proposal, the Chittagong Port Authority will finance the project.
It was planned that the project work would begin in July this year to complete construction in 2011.
When contacted, ministry officials said they were now busy processing the bidding relating to private operation of the NCT.
Sources at the CPA said it had taken the move for the construction of the KCT in the wake of increased pressure of feeder vessels in the port.
They said it will facilitate the country's external trade and help reduce container congestion at the port.
According to an estimate, the port will handle around 2.0 million containers of twenty-foot equivalent units in 2014-15 fiscal.
It now handles nearly one million containers.
The annual growth of container handling is estimated at 10 per cent at the Chittagong port.
Chief Planning Officer of the CPA Hadi Hossain Babul told the FE that the KCT project should be approved immediately by the government as it would take at least eight years to complete the project.
"If we want to keep pace with the country's container growth then the approval of the project is very important," he added.
Sources said the KCT is designed to handle 0.35 million containers a year.
The proposed KCT will cover jetties 11, 12 and 13 with three berths each having 200 metres in length.
However, the KCT will have around 150,000 square metres back-up facilities to store the containers.
The KCT will have four rail mounted quay gantry cranes, 10 gantry cranes and other modern handling equipment.
The construction of the Karnaphuli Container Terminal (KCT) in Chittagong that was due to start in July last will be delayed as the Ministry of Shipping (MoS) is busy handing over the operation of New Mooring Container Terminal.
There is no progress on the construction of the KCT project worth Tk 8.20 billion as the proposal has been lying with the MoS since March last.
According to the proposal, the Chittagong Port Authority will finance the project.
It was planned that the project work would begin in July this year to complete construction in 2011.
When contacted, ministry officials said they were now busy processing the bidding relating to private operation of the NCT.
Sources at the CPA said it had taken the move for the construction of the KCT in the wake of increased pressure of feeder vessels in the port.
They said it will facilitate the country's external trade and help reduce container congestion at the port.
According to an estimate, the port will handle around 2.0 million containers of twenty-foot equivalent units in 2014-15 fiscal.
It now handles nearly one million containers.
The annual growth of container handling is estimated at 10 per cent at the Chittagong port.
Chief Planning Officer of the CPA Hadi Hossain Babul told the FE that the KCT project should be approved immediately by the government as it would take at least eight years to complete the project.
"If we want to keep pace with the country's container growth then the approval of the project is very important," he added.
Sources said the KCT is designed to handle 0.35 million containers a year.
The proposed KCT will cover jetties 11, 12 and 13 with three berths each having 200 metres in length.
However, the KCT will have around 150,000 square metres back-up facilities to store the containers.
The KCT will have four rail mounted quay gantry cranes, 10 gantry cranes and other modern handling equipment.