CPA to set up first-ever bay terminal

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is going to set up first-ever bay terminal on 1200 acres of land to develop further the country`s premier seaport so it could offer better and more efficient services.

"The CPA has planned the bay terminal to cater to the needs of the growing import-export activities using the port," Rafiul Alam, executive engineer of CPA told BSS.

He said a German company had started the feasibility study on the prospect of the terminal in August, and the next step for setting up of the terminal would be taken on the outcome and the recommendations of the feasibility study.

He said a study team of the German farm already identified the necessary draught (the depth of water needed to float a ship) beside around 6.15 kilometres long land in Halishahar area in the city, which would be enough for anchoring of big vessels, usually called mother vessels.

The CPA official noted that the draught is almost equivalent to the much-talked-about deep seaports at Payra in Patuakhali and Moheshkhali in Cox`s Bazar.

Currently, the bulk carriers discharge cargoes at the Kutubdia point of outer anchorage with around 14 metres draught. Lighter vessels eventually bring the cargoes to the port from the outer anchorage, said Zillur Rahman, chief estate officer of Chittagong Port.

"With implementation of the bay terminal project, the mother vessels those usually carry around 10 thousand containers would directly sail for different foreign ports," he said.

Mohammad Zafar Alam, Member (admin and planning) of the CPA, said the plan for setting up of the bay terminal was taken to increase the capacity of the Chittagong Port, which handles 92.0 percent of export-import activities of the country.

He said container handling was 20 Lakh 24 thousand 207 TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Units) last year, and the number would reach 23 lakh TEUs in end of 2016.