Ongoing improvements at Northport Bhd’s Wharf 16 in Port Klang, Malaysia, have passed the halfway mark, and the facility is seen to be fully operational on schedule by November this year.
NCB Holdings Bhd, parent company of Northport’s port operator Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, said upgrading of the wharf, which began March this year, is 56 percent complete, according to a report by Bernama, Malaysia’s national news agency.
Wharf 16, one of Northport’s latest multipurpose port facilities, is 213 meters long and 79.2 meters wide, with an area of 16,878 square meters. Its tonnage capacity is 80,000 tonnes and depth is 12.9 meters.
Enhancements at the wharf include installing a new 100-foot crane rail beam, upgrading marine fenders, and constructing new tower lights, involving a total investment of MYR25.6 million (US$8.11 million).
Once renovation is finished, the wharf will be served by two new Super Post-Panamax quay cranes that were delivered last year and form part of a set of six new quay cranes purchased by Northport in 2013 to increase its terminal handling capacity.
Northport also plans to upgrade Wharf 8 and Container Terminal 4 as part of plans to be able to berth more ultra-large container vessels at CT4.
Meanwhile, the company said Abi Sofian Abdul Hamid, the current CEO of Northport, will be taking over as group managing director of NCB effective September 1, 2014 following the retirement of Datuk Abdul Samad Mohamed.
Rubani Dikon will assume the CEO post at Northport effective the same day.
