In the first nine months of 2008, container throughput at the major Iranian port of Bandar Abbas increased by 15 per cent, compared to Q1-Q3 2007, to just on 1.44 million TEUs, according to Transport Intelligence.

The growth was largely attributed to additional available capacity and a strong local market. Shahid Rajaee Container Terminal (SRCT) at Bandar Abbas is Iran’s main container facility, located on the Gulf in the south of the country and its forecast throughput for 2008, was about two million TEUs.

When phase one of Shahid Rajaee’s second container terminal (named SRCT2) at Bandar Abbas opened in February 2008, the port’s annual container capacity increased from 1.7 million TEUs to 3.3 million.

There are plans to double the current capacity over the next three years. Phase II of the new facility is scheduled to become operational in early 2012. It will add 2,020m of quay length, dredged down to provide a water depth of 16 metres alongside the berths, and 18 post-panamax quay cranes.

Tehran-based Tidewater Middle East, described as Iran’s leading container terminal operator, will continue to manage the facility. The company has appointed Singapore-based OPM (Overseas Port Management [S] Pte Ltd) as executive manager of SRCT2 for a period of five years, effective from December 2007.

SRCT2 was handed over to the management of OPM on September 14.

OPM is undertaking the international marketing of Bandar Abbas’s old and new container terminals
(SRCT1 and SRCT2) but will report to Tidewater Middle East management. OPM was involved in
improving SRCT1’s operations from May 2006 to November 2007, before being appointed executive
manager of SRCT2 the following month.

By Staff Writer
© Emirates Business 24/7 2008
Article originally published by Emirates Business 24/7 19-Oct-08