Patenga Container Terminal to start operation this year--

97pc construction work completed, say CPA officials

NAZIMUDDIN SHYAMOL | Published: July 14, 2022 22:18:43

CHATTOGRAM, July 14: The Chittagong seaport this year will get a new container terminal named Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) as its construction work is going to be completed in the current month, officials said.
After a five-month delay due to the Covid-19 outbreak last year, now 97 per cent of the total construction works of the PCT have been completed, said officials directly involved with the project. They hoped that the terminal, being built on 32 acres of land, can start its operation this month after end of the remaining works.
Echoing them, a CPA official acknowledged that PCT's construction work is set to end this month after 16 years of construction of the New-mooring Container Terminal (NCT) of the port authority in 2006.
When contacted, CPA Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan confirmed that 97% of the total construction works of the PCT has already been completed.
According to him, the construction work is now in its final phase and the rest of the works in this phase are progressing smoothly with an aim to make the PCT ready for operation in the current year.
He said PCT's construction cost was estimated to be nearly 12.99 billion or Tk 1,299 crore and 58 lakh. The entire cost is borne by the CPA, he mentioned.
A total of three container ships having 9.5 metres draft and 190 metres in length can take berth simultaneously at the PCT, he said. Besides, one oil tanker with 290 metres length can take berth at the Dolphin Jetty of PCT, he added.
Dolphin Oil Jetty is a specialised jetty or terminal being built at the PCT for unloading fuel oil, CPA officials said.
On the back yard, road and railway tracks plus other facilities are also being built, said the officials.
Mr Shahjahan said construction of the jetty area has been completed. Engineering corps of the Bangladesh Army has been selected to execute the project, he also said.
"We held a meeting with officials of the World Bank regarding the PCT. We will get support from World Bank for starting PCT's operation. I hope its operation can be started in the current month," he added.
According to sources, construction work of the terminal was delayed last year due to the pandemic.
Although the PCTs' operation was scheduled to be started in February of the current year, the time has been deferred by five months due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Now the construction is scheduled to be ended in July and operation of the terminal is set to be kicked off in the current year, said another official of the CPA.
PCTs' Project Director (PD) Mijanur Rahman Sarkar said, "(The remaining) works are continuing in full swing now and the civil work of the terminal are being implemented under the supervision of Engineering core of the Bangladesh Army."
He said "The main construction works of jetties have already been completed. Now construction of underground water tanks, over-head water tanks and yards are going on in full swing. These works will be completed within the current month. I hope the PCT can start its operation in the current month," he added.
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