Work on Samalaju Port on track

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Mior explains the progress of work to Awang Tengah (second right) .

BINTULU: Work on Phase 1 of Samalaju Port is on track for completion by the second quarter of 2016.

Speaking to reporters after a working visit to the port Tuesday, Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said among those already completed were two barge berths while the a ro-ro ramp would be ready by April this year.

“The whole project costs about RM1.8 billion and so far RM1.4 billion has been committed and awarded through various packages,” he added.

The port now has a berth capacity of 18 million tonnes which is about half of total capacity when fully completed and with that (18 mil tomes) the six companies would use about 9 million tonnes.

In fact, the (six) companies which have signed their respective agreements with Samalaju Port Authority (SPA) could now start operation.

The six companies are Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd, Tokuyama Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Pertama Ferroalloys Sdn Bhd (Asia Mineral Limited), OM Materials Sdn Bhd, Sakura Project (Sumitomo J/V Assmang & China Steel) and Malaysian Phosphate Additive Sarawak Sdn Bhd.

“Samalaju Industrial Park is also going to commission a 80mld-water treatment plant to Samalaju in March this year,” he said, adding that in terms of security, personnel had been stationed on-shift round-the-clock.

Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Dato Mior Ahmad Baiti Mior Lub Ahmad was among those present during the site visit.