MARINE HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE: Bitung Development Starts This Year

May 6, 2015, Bisnis Indonesia, Page 31, Section: Transportasi dan Logistik

MAKASSAR – PT Pelabuhan Indonesia IV is targeting the first phase development of the Port of Bitung, North Sulawesi, with an investment of Rp 506.5 billion, to start this year in order to accelerate its status upgrade into an international hub.

Finance Director of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) IV, Budi Revianto, said that his company has prepared an environmental impact assessment (Amdal) for the Bitung Port development project.

According to him, the company has established cooperation with a third party[ies] in completing the drafting of Amdal and environmental management plan for the development of the marine transport infrastructure.

“In accordance with the plan, we are targeting the physical construction to begin this year after the Amdal and other stages are completed,” he told Bisnis, Tuesday (5 May).

Budi explained that the first phase development of the Port of Bitung is expected to begin this year and it will be completed in 2017. The project is focused on the construction of container loading and unloading facilities.

In detail, the sources of funds for the port development are from the company’s internal cash amounting to Rp 141.5 billion and the utilisation of state equity capital investment (PMN) amounting to Rp 365 billion.

In accordance with the roadmap of Bitung Port development, which has been prepared by Pelindo IV, the planned development is divided into three stages.

The first phase of the project is estimated to be completed in 2017, covering the expansion of the container yard (CY) by ​​6.5ha and extension of the dock by 500m.

The second phase is planned to take place from 2018 to 2022, with a 250m addition to the physical length of the dock, where the dock is designed to form a 90 degree angle and connect to the mainland.

In the same period, the container yard will be increased aggressively, with a total increase of 46.8ha.

The expansion of the container yard will be carried out by converting a small-scale harbour, office buildings, and residential areas located around the harbor.

In the final stage development, which is estimated to be completed in the year 2032, the company is targeting the expansion of container yard area and the construction of a bulk terminal right next to the container yard.

“The development has been prepared to support the Marine Highway programme of the central government, where Bitung will be one of the main nodes,” he said.

In addition to the Port of Bitung, he continued, PT Pelindo IV also plans to start physical works on Makassar New Port (MNP), which will begin with its groundbreaking stage on 20 May 2015.

According to him, the development of a number of other ports under the company’s management will also be done simultaneously from 2015 until the next three years.

In supporting the development step, the company requires funds amounting to Rp 3.17 trillion, which are planned to be derived from internal cash amounting to Rp 1.17 trillion and from PMN disbursement to the amount of Rp 2 trillion.

“That has included the first phase development of the Port of Bitung. As for the MNP, the funding will be sourced from other budget items, but will still come from internal cash and bank loans,” he said.

MARINE HIGHWAY
President Director of PT Pelindo IV, Mulyono, previously said that the company has prepared a big plan for the development of installed capacities in ports over the next three years, with an orientation to the Marine Highway infrastructure.

Meanwhile, three ports that the company has predicted to become main nodes of connectivity in the Marine Highway are the Port of Makassar, Bitung Port and Sorong Port.

“The development of container service capacity is a priority; we are improving the productivity of existing [facilities] and their loading and unloading service efficiency,” he said.

Mulyono explained that the development of the here ports covers the procurement of loading and unloading equipments, such as CY and RTG, as well as the expansion of container yards, so as to boost the existing installed capacities.

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