PT Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT) inaugurated today the second stage of its Expansion Programme. The inauguration ceremony was held on the terminal’s new container yard. It was attended by the Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) Group Managing Director John Meredith, and PT. (Persero) Pelabuhan Indonesia II (Pelindo II) President Director Richard J. Lino.
JICT has taken delivery of four new super-post-Panamax quay cranes, two of which were fabricated in Indonesia, six new “1 over 6” rubber-tyred gantry cranes, a first of this type in Indonesia, and 26 new terminal tractors this year. JICT has also completed new infrastructure, including expanding its container yard and commissioning a new technologically advanced control tower, which will soon be endowed with HPH’s proprietary Next Generation Terminal Management System (nGen).
The investments that JICT have made this year have increased it’s handling capacity to 2.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) compared with 1.5 million TEUs 10 years ago. Further investment in the future will increase JICT's capacity to over three million TEUs.
JICT President Director Derek Pierson commented, “Productivity has risen from an average of 18 crane moves per hour 10 years ago to almost 29 crane moves per hour today on the North Berth, an improvement of some 60%. In addition following the delivery of the four new super-post-Panamax quay cranes earlier this year JICT is now able to achieve an overall Vessel Operating Rate of 90 moves per hour when these cranes are deployed on the biggest vessels calling at JICT today.”
The Minister of Trade Mrs Mari Elka Pangestu said, in her inauguration speach, “As the biggest archipelago in the world, sea transportation is a vital sector in Indonesia’s international trade and transportation. Therefore, in the future, Indonesia must have international standard ports, to ensure Indonesia’s export competitiveness, through the continuous improvement of infrastructure, human resource quality and technology, as well as customer services.” The Minister stressed the importance of the Tanjung Priok port to Indonesia and went on to thank JICT for its efforts in improving capacity and technology.
Newly appointed President Director of Pelindo II Richard Lino said, “I will be working tirelessly to support JICT in its efforts to expand capacity and improve services and productivity in order to reduce overall costs to all JICT’s customers.” He went on to say, “I look forward to the completion of the Jakarta Outer Ring Road, currently under construction by the Government of Indonesia, as this would greatly enhance access to JICT and all other container and conventional terminals in Tanjung Priok.”
In his address HPH Group Managing Director John Meredith said, “Tanjung Priok now has the Water Depth, Crane Size, Supporting Equipment and Systems together with the productivity that the Lines demand. This will reduce Indonesia’s heavy reliance upon expensive offshore transhipment and offer a more cost effective and efficient service to its domestic and international customers alike. This is good news for the Indonesian economy.”
