Malaysia: TRC Nabs Samalaju Port Deal

Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd (BPHB) has awarded a RM193.9mil contract to Trans Resources Corp Sdn Bhd (TRC) for the construction of interim port facilities at the proposed Samalaju Port.

TRC beat 10 other bidders for the job.

BPHB chief executive officer Datuk Mior Ahmad Baiti Mior Lub Ahmad said the company would finance the contract by using internal fund, according to bintuluport.com.

He said the interim facilities would comprise a ro-ro ramp and two barge berths of 160m in length each with a depth of 7m.

The contract is divided into Section A and B, and TRC has to complete them in nine and 12 months respectively.

“Section A involves dredging works, the construction of breakwater (a massive wall built out into sea to protect the harbour from the force of waves), a ro-ro ramp and a barge berth.

“A second barge berth will be built under Section B,” Mior Ahmad told StarBiz yesterday.

He said the interim facilities were expected to be ready in March next year.

Under the contract agreement, TRC is required to pay liquidated and ascertained damages fixed at 0.0219% of the contract sum per calendar day to BPHB if it failed to complete the works within the stipulated timeframe.

The two berths will be used by barges to transport building materials, machinery and equipment for the construction of manufacturing facilities for energy-intensive industries in Samalaju Industrial Park as well as raw materials required by these industries.

Mior Ahmad said a 3km access road from Samalaju junction to the site of the interm port facility and site office would be substantially completed by next week.

He said BPHB was finalising the detailed design of the new port, which will be built on 450ha about 60km from Bintulu Port.

All the necessary approvals for the project, including the detailed environmental impact assessment report, have been obtained.

“The main port project will be awarded in several packages, with tenders for some of the packages to be called in August or September,” he added.

According to Mior Ahmad, the packages will comprise dredging works, construction of breakwater, wharf and land site development that include the construction of operational yards, an administrative building and related facilities.

Samalaju Port will be able to handle 18 million tonnes of cargo per annum compared with Bintulu Port’s current annual capacity of 16 million tonnes (non-liquefied natural gas cargo).

Samalaju Port could raise its capacity to 30 million tonnes a year if necessary.

The port’s total development cost is estimated at RM1.8bil, inclusive of RM300mil for port equipment.

Mior Ahmad said BPHB was finalising the port’s financing plan with its major shareholders.

Petroliam Nasional Bhd is the single-biggest shareholder with a 32.79% stake, followed by Sarawak State Financial Secretary (30.68%) and Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (9.52%).

BPHB intends to fund the new port’s development through a combination of equity and debt.

Samalaju Port, which is expected to be operational in 2015, will also be used to ship out finished products made by energy-intensive industries like aluminium manganese and ferro alloy smelters.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, June 13, 2012; Image: bintuluport