Customer Advisory: Chittagong Port Situation Update
Current Chittagong Port operation & berthing situation:
- Present berthing congestion/waiting time at anchorage is around 8-9 days.
- 22 container vessels are waiting in the queue and 09 vessels at berth (GCB-4, CCT-1, NCT-4) instead 12 Container berth.
- CPA (Chittagong Port Authority) has cut down container berthing to accommodate Break-Bulk/Car Carrier vessels and also for dredging purpose.
- Yard occupancy already crossed the capacity and heavily congested with import laden boxes.
- Both discharging/loading operation are severely hampered due yard congestion.
- CPA not allowing Vessels to stay at Port after completion of discharging operation within 48 hours.
- CPA have restricted empty shipment from Depots and continuing force shipment of MT containers from Port Yard
- CPA has started repair of affected Gantry Cranes at CCT (Berth # 03) from 8th of Aug through Mitsubishi Corporation expected to fully repaired within 3-5 months.
- CPA is only allowing 7 gearless vessels inside port berthing facility to avoid more congestions.
Berthing delays at different terminals :
- NCT – 8/9 days
- CCT – 11/12 days
- GCB – 5/6 days
- 09 Vessel at Berth; 22 container vessels at outer anchorage; 20 vessels declared to get berth within 2 days.
Yard congestion:
Port yards are 103% occupied with both laden and empty containers.
Yard capacity 36357 Teus, present occupancy 36740 Teus.
5721 Tues MT lying against capacity of 5500 Tues.
Other issues :
a)CPA official stop allowing for GATE ENTRY for export container against any individual sailing vessel 3 to 6Hrs prior vessel sailing/outward pilot time.
b)CPA strictly following for GEARLESS vessels port stay 48Hrs and for the GEARED vessel highest 72Hrs port/berth stay.
c)All vessels must have to sail within this given period of time with whatever is loaded on to the Fvsls. As a result, max Fvsls departing with 50% load ability.
Future Expansion Plan of GOVT of Bangladesh
1.Bangladesh GOVT is planning to build a floating Terminal near to port outer anchorage to provide smooth service to Pangaon Inland River Terminal.
2.GOVT is pushing private ICD owners to build more ICDs near to this floating terminal, so that Fvsls can get berth for quick loading & discharge to free Chittagong Port congestions.
3.GOVT also expanding the capacity of 2nd port of Bangladesh located in Mongla at the south western side of Bangladesh to cope up with recent growth and substitute Chittagong Port which is having regular congestions now a days.
4.CPA already brought 5 RTGs (Rubber Tired Gantry) to speed up the port container stacking to free up yard congestions.
5.CPA has plan to bring another 4 RTGs in coming October to speed up port productivity.
