Gulftainer posts 23.75% growth at Sharjah ports

Gulftainer, the UAE-based port operator, handled 1.25 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent) containers from January to May this year at its Sharjah ports, registering a 23.75 per cent growth in traffic as compared to the corresponding period in 2009.

This puts it on track to achieve a projected double-digit growth in container volumes for 2010 over the 2.75 million TEUs handled in 2009, mainly at the Khorfakkan Port on the UAE's east coast and at Khalid Port in Sharjah. Khorfakkan contributes most of the traffic at Gulftainer's Sharjah Container Terminals, which climbed from 50th position to the 39th slot on Dynaliners list of top world terminals in 2009.

"Though 2009 was a difficult year for the shipping industry because of the global economic recession, Gulftainer was among the few major terminal operators worldwide to show improved performance and climb through the rankings when most other companies were reporting losses due to a slowdown in trade activity," Peter Richards, Managing Director, Gulftainer Group, told Emirates Business.

Container traffic rose by 10 per cent in 2009 from 2.5 million TEUs in 2008.

This growth was largely due to the professional services, competitive rates, high productivity and quick turnaround times that the Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) offers to shipping lines looking to save time and money in these recessionary times, Richards said.

"We expect volumes to cross three million TEUs in 2010 on the strength of the high standard and quick services we provide. As the industry gradually moves out of the economic recession, shipping lines are looking for all possible ways to save money. Many lines still face difficult times with lower volumes and rates and cannot afford delays in container terminals. Fast turnaround times are essential for them right now," he added.

"Ships earn when they're moving, so spending less time in port ensures huge savings. At KCT, productivity is doubled with the new facilities and equipment installed under the recently-completed second phase of the Dh700 million expansion programme, with 5,000 moves being completed within 24 hours instead of the earlier two-day period," Richards said.