To meet the growing demand for Hong Kong's container port services, Modern Terminals Limited, Hongkong International Terminals Limited and Asia Container Terminals Limited signed the land grants for the development of Container Terminal 9 (CT9) with the Government at the end of 1998.

Located at Tsing Yi, CT9 will consist of six berths. It will add a designed annual throughput capacity of 2.6 million TEUs to Kwai Chung Container Port's existing capacity of over 11.5 million TEUs. However, the terminal operators estimate they will be able to handle a much higher volume than the design capacity through the introduction of productivity and efficiency measures. The first berth of CT9 will come on stream in May 2002, and the remaining berths will be completed at intervals of five to six months. Four of its berths will be allocated to Modern Terminals Limited, and the remaining two will go to Hongkong International Terminals Limited. The third developer, Asia Container Terminals Limited, will take over Modern Terminals' two berths at CT8 (West).

The current capacity of the Kwai Chung Container Terminals, including CT9, is expected to be adequate to handle Hong Kong's throughput until the end of this decade.

The article is contributed by HKCTOA

The Hong Kong Container Terminal Operators Association Limited (HKCTOA) was established in June 1999. Its mission is to promote Hong Kong as the key container hub port of the region providing premier service to the container shipping industry. The Association also aims at increasing the competitiveness of the Port of Hong Kong and making positive contributions to areas of public interest such as traffic, employment and environment.

HKCTOA comprises Kwai Chung container terminal operators:
- Hongkong International Terminals Limited;
- Modern Terminals Limited;
- CSX World Terminals Hong Kong Limited;
- COSCO-HIT Terminals (Hong Kong) Limited; and
- Asia Container Terminals Limited.

The current chairman of the Association is Mr Eric Ip, Managing Director of Hongkong International Terminals Limited.

Since its formation, HKCTOA has worked closely with various Government departments and private sector agencies to promote the port of Hong Kong. In cooperation with the Hong Kong Port and Maritime Board (PMB), the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC), the Hong Kong Shippers' Council (HKSC) and the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association (HKLSA), delegates from these bodies and HKCTOA have visited Japan, South Korea, UK,

In the latest port promotion tour to the United States in February this year, the delegation met with over 250 senior representatives from major U.S. shippers, consignees, freight forwarders and shipping lines. "We reassured them and were able to demonstrate that Hong Kong continues to be uniquely business friendly, a free port and the most important South China hub port," said HKCTOA Chairman Eric Ip.

The Kwai Chung Container Port is renowned for its efficiency, handling 10.12 million TEUs out of a total throughput of 16.21 million TEUs of Hong Kong in 1999. This is estimated to exceed 11 million TEUs in 2000. The Kwai Chung port consists of 8 container terminals and a total of 18 berths. With 6,059 meters of quays and maximum water-depth of 15 meters, the Kwai Chung Container Terminals can accommodate the latest generation of container ships already in service and under construction.

Members of the Association also play an active role in participating various community projects and events. Through HKCTOA, the terminal operators take a keen concern for road safety and workplace safety and give support to the 'Kwai Tsing Safety Community Project' jointly organised by the Occupational Safety and Health Council and

PMB Chairman, Sir Gordon Wu, talked about his mission and views on how to maintain Hong Kong's status as a world container port as well as an international and logistics centre, the Llyod's List reported on 12 August, 2000.

Container Terminal 9

A ground-breaking ceremony was held on 25 July with the Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, as the officiating guest, many papers, including South China Morning Post and Hong Kong iMail reported on 25 July, 2000. Construction works on CT9 is now fully underway.

HK-Guangdong on Maritime Safety

The marine chiefs of Hong Kong and Guangdong concluded a new round of talks on improving maritime safety in the Pearl River

According to a study, it was cheaper for US shippers to transport containerised goods from the Pearl River Delta region to Hong Kong using barge services than to export them directly from Shenzhen ports, the Journal of Commerce Week reported in its 5-11 June issue.

New Barge Identity Card

A new Barge Identity Card System was introduced by the HIT to facilitate the fast growing barge traffic at its terminals, the Hong Kong Shipping Gazette reported in its 31 May issue.

The updated Port Cargo Forecasts (PCF) Review 2000/01 is progressing on schedule. Preliminary findings have been presented for comments at the recent Port Development Committee and the Board meeting on November 7, 2000. Findings of the PCF will be published by first quarter of 2001.

"Logistics HK" website

The Board will introduce a section called "Logistics Hong Kong" in its website to provide hot links to logistics-related organisations. The section will help strengthen the co-ordination of and facilitate information exchange within the logistics community.