Thailand
Cambodia: Deep-water port construction to increase PAS capacity
The government has been increasing the capacity of listed Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) through the construction of a deep-water port to allow all types of cargo ships to dock without having to transit at other ports and reduce shipping costs and shipping time.
According to the PAS report, it has a container capacity of more than 550,000 TEUs per year, while transit cargo reached more than 750,000 TEUs in 2022, exceeding the port capacity.
PAS said that in 2024, there will be a new port with a length of 350 meters, which will increase the storage capacity of 1 million TEUs per year.
In addition, PAS plans to develop the port in three phases. By 2026, the new container terminal, which will be 350 meters long and 14.5 meters deep with a container capacity of 1.45 million TEUs per year, is expected to be completed.
The second phase of the new container terminal will be implemented in 2028 and the third phase, to be completed in 2029, will increase the container capacity to more than 2.67 million TEUs per year.
The new port will allow cargo ships worldwide to dock without transit at other ports, eliminating water depth barriers, especially reducing costs and shipping time and increasing competitiveness, the report said.
At a press conference last week, Lou Kimchhun, Director General, PAS, said that the busy trade activities required the development of container terminals to increase the depth of the waterway, responding to the growth of international trade, transportation and the achievement of plans to allow all cargo ships to dock.
“When all cargo ships can dock at PAS, the cost of sea transport will be lower than at present, leading to competition for the national trade sector, increasing the economic profit,” he said.
Cambodia has two main ports – PAS and the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port. Both are listed on the Cambodia Securities Exchange.
PAS and PPAP posted revenues of almost $130 million last year, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport’s report.
Freight through PAS increased by 2.45 percent to $86 million in 2022 while that of PPAP rose by 17.10 percent to $40 million, the report indicated.
Sun Chanthol, Minister of Public Works and Transport, said recently that the growth reflected the active throughput of the ports thanks to an increase in agricultural exports, as well as the export of textile and garment products.
Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501281966/deep-water-port-construction-to-increase-pas-capacity/