Kuala Lumpur, 10 February 2017
Westports Holdings Berhad (“Westports” or the “Group”) has announced its financial results for the year of 2016. Operational revenue improved by 14% to RM1.8 billion from the previous year as both the container and conventional operations contributed to the Group’s improved financial performance.
Westports’ achieved another milestone by handling a record container volume of 9.95 million TEUs in 2016, which was an improvement of 10% over the previous year’s 9.05m TEUs, which was also a record volume then.
The continued strong growth of transhipment containers underpinned the record-breaking momentum as Westports support, especially, regional trading requirements. Gateway volume complemented by achieving much-improved growth in the latter part of the year as Westports continued to facilitate domestic economic activities with the volume of laden export containers increasing by 6% in 2016 while laden import containers were growing more moderately by 1%. Westports accounted for 76% of the total containers that were handled at Port Klang in 2016.
Conventional throughput in 2016 increased by 15% to 11.8 million tonnes as Westports handled a higher volume of dry bulk commodities such as sugar, imported grains and fertiliser. Break bulk tonnages coming through the port, such as steel products and project cargoes, for domestic applications and economic activities have also increased. Bunker operations meanwhile contributed to the improved throughput at the liquid bulk facility.
Ruben Emir Gnanalingam, the Chief Executive Officer of Westports, commented, “Our record-breaking financial and operational performance is gratifying, and it reflected the results of our relentless commitment towards accommodating growing requirements from our customers. Over the course of 2016, Westports has also benefited from shipping clients’ ad-hoc handling requirements as they introduced larger vessels into their existing container shipping services. The record container volume handled and active terminal utilisation of the recently completed CT8 Phase 1 facilitated the need to commence with CT9 Phase 1 expansion to meet the future requirements of our shipping customers and also raise the overall terminal handling capacity at Port Klang. The CT9 Phase 1 expansion will entail the construction of an additional 600-metre wharf and new Terminal Operating Equipment such as Ship-To-Shore Cranes and Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes”.
“Westports has grown tremendously over the last two decades by supporting our shipping clients’ regional transhipment requirements and facilitating domestic economic activities. The impending realignment in the container shipping industry this year will result in a lesser number of but significantly larger alliances. As these larger alliances optimise their network and services, they would also optimise their port of calls and services. Westports has always been a supply-driven terminal and to service these bigger alliances; we trust that our added terminal handling capacity would be able to meet their requirements when their vessels call at Westports”.
Ruben added that, “The recognition by Global Ports Forum, with its acclaimed award, of Westports for being the ‘Port / Terminal of the Year – South East Asia 2017’ is an added endorsement from the industry for our relentless focus on operational excellence as we continue fulfilling our vision of being an immensely successful gateway port for Malaysia and also being a transhipment hub especially for the South East Asia region. It is also with much gratitude that during the same gala award in Dubai, the Global Ports Forum has conferred the Executive Chairman of Westports, Tan Sri Datuk G. Gnanalingam, the ‘Life Time Achievement in Port / Terminal Industry’. His entrepreneurial leadership has built and led Westports to emerge as the busiest container terminal in Malaysia”.
