A first ship will dock at the brand new Patenga Container Terminal tomorrow, despite the fact that the Chittagong Port Authority has yet to land an operator for the facility.
With the port, Bangladesh’s largest, already operating at full capacity and regularly subject to congestion, the new 450,000 teu terminal cannot come soon enough. Construction has run into delays of more than two years. Given the lack of a confirmed foreign operator, to begin with the port authority has decided to prioritise geared ships to its new terminal while it holds urgent negotiations with global terminal operators to find someone willing to take on the lease. APM Terminals, Red Sea Gateway Terminal and DP World are tipped to be in the running to win the concession.
The port can currently accommodate ships with a maximum 9.5 m of draught and 190 m of length. The Patenga terminal will be able to accommodate ships with 10.5 m of draught and 200 m of length.
