TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A cargo ship with a capacity of 8,238 TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent unit) make port in the Jakarta International Container Terminal of Tanjung Priok Port. Elvyn G. Masassya, CEO of Tanjung Priok Port management company PT Pelindo II, said that the ship’s arrival marks a new era for Tanjung Priok.
Elvyn said that previously, the largest ship that ever docked in Tanjung Priok Port was a ship with a total capacity of 5,000 TEUs. "Now [Tanjung Priok Port] can accommodate giant ships that have a total capacity of over 8,000 TEUs up to 14,000 TEUs," Elvyn said on Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Waters around Tanjung Priok Port currently has a total depth of 13 to 14 meters. Previously, it only has 12 to 13 meters depth. Pelindo is planning to conduct more dredging to allow ships with 10,000 TEUs capacity to dock.
Recently, a giant cargo ship owned by French shipping line Compagnie Maritime d'Affretement - Compagnie Generali Maritime (CMA-CGM) docked in Tanjung Priok. CMA-CGM will cooperate with Pelindo II to accommodate direct shipping services from Tanjung Priok Port to the western coasts of the United States. CMA-CGM has prepared a total of 17 ships to deliver cargo on a weekly basis.
Indonesian Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said that the arrival of giant ships with direct shipping routes can help to improve the efficiency of goods delivery, allowing for lowers cost and shorter delivery time.
Budi added that by preparing Tanjung Priok to accommodate larger ships can help to transform the port into a transshipment port. Budi explained that transshipment method can help to deliver goods faster with lower costs.
"With transshipment system, logistics cost can be cheaper and [delivery time] can be shorter," Budi said.
VINDRY FLORENTIN
