POBNEWS24, Dhaka, May 31, 2022 : Two new ‘Key Gantry Cranes’ are being added for loading and unloading of goods at Chittagong Port. The two Chinese-made cranes have already reached the Chittagong port jetty. Now the installation work is going on. In the first week of June, the port authorities will start loading and unloading goods by connecting the port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT)
Two more gantry cranes are coming to Chittagong port in the last week of June; It may take until mid-July for them to be added. If those two devices are added, the total number of gantry cranes in the port fleet will be 14. Then the containers will be loaded and unloaded with these 14 cranes at five jetties of NCT.
Confirming the matter, Chittagong Port Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan told Kaler Kantha, “Two key gantry cranes coming in May are being added to the NCT terminal. Two more key gantry cranes coming in June. From July, NCT’s five container jetties will be operated with 14 key gantry cranes. ‘
He said, ‘This will increase the loading and unloading capacity of Chittagong port. With the existing jetty we will be able to move additional containers. ‘
Port officials say the state-of-the-art New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) was built in 2006 at a cost of Rs 700 crore from the port’s own funds. The purpose was to add 10 key gantry cranes and load the ships without cranes. But since the gantry cranes could not be attached, the goods were loaded and unloaded on the NCT by ships with cranes. After 11 years of overcoming complexities with various initiatives, 10 key gantry cranes were added to the port fleet in 2016.
The largest container ship is unloaded at the port’s NCT. There are a total of five jetties in this terminal. One of these jetties is allocated for loading and unloading of goods at Pangaon Inland Terminal in Dhaka. The other four jetties are being loaded and unloaded with 10 key gantry cranes. With the addition of four new ones, the NCT terminal at Chittagong port will run with a total of 14 gantry cranes.
Operator Saif Powertech Limited operates the NCT terminal in the port. Managing Director (MD) of the company Tarafdar Ruhul Amin said, ‘Now we are working to lift and unload goods with two cranes in one ship. Then I will be able to load and unload goods with three cranes in one ship. Then most ships will be able to finish loading and unloading goods within 48 hours. This will make it possible to load and unload goods from more ships in less time.
At Chittagong Port Container Terminal (CCT) near NCT of Chittagong Port, two key gantry cranes are being used for loading and unloading of goods. The port has no plans to add new gantry cranes there. The port port of Chittagong is growing at a rate of 13 percent per year. As there is no new jetty terminal, the country’s main seaport is managing growth by applying some new strategies with existing capacity. However, with the new four gantry cranes, it will be possible to lift and unload at least 20 percent more goods, says Chittagong Port Director (Transport) Enamul Karim.
