Abu Dhabi: Khalifa Port Container Terminal handled 772,000 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) in the first seven months of 2015 compared to the 549,000 TEUs handled in the same period in 2014, marking a 41 per cent increase in container volumes.
Abu Dhabi Ports, the master developer of ports in the emirate, said in a statement on Sunday that the company saw a 21 per cent increase in general and bulk cargo, which reached 8.71 million freight tonnes (FT) during the same period.
In 2015, all roll-on-roll-off operations were transferred to Khalifa Port from Zayed Port in light of the growing UAE market for the automotive sector. This transition to Khalifa Port saw volumes increase by 11 per cent on the back of improved efficiencies.
Currently, Khalifa Port offers a capacity of about 350,000 vehicles a year.
Abu Dhabi Terminals also set new productivity records when its operations team handled the vessel APL BOSTON with an average gross crane productivity of 39.81 gross moves per hour (GMPH), resulting in berth productivity of 135.18 GMPH during a 19-hour, 54-minute port stay.
“Our ability to handle record loads across the cargo and transportation market has been facilitated by our commitment to implementing operational efficiencies and adopting next-generation technologies,” Mohammad Juma Al Shamisi, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Ports, said in a statement.
Such productivity levels across all the ports have seen the network of Abu Dhabi Ports grow to more than 100 direct connections to global ports linked to over 36 shipping lines.
Over the past seven months, the company has invested in upgrading infrastructure, implementing new technologies, and buying new equipment to expand operations.
At Khalifa Industrial Zone (Kizad), Abu Dhabi Ports saw a total of 19 Standard Musataha Agreements signed this year with national and international investors. These projects will represent one million square metres plot size.
Other investments include the completion of the halfway mark of Stage 1 implementation of Maqta Gateway, a new port community system interlinking all of the relevant parties involved in Abu Dhabi’s import and export trade business. This will enhance processing times and communication procedures, improving the productivity and efficiency of services.
