Sihanoukville (FN), Sep. 12 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that the newly added 253-meter-long container terminal will provide additional capacity to the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, enhancing its ability to expand and modernise in response to increasing container traffic. This expansion is a step towards achieving a future three-stage deep-sea container port and aims to make the port competitive with global ports.

The premier spoke on Thursday (Sep. 12) during an inauguration of the official use of the additional 253-meter-long container terminal at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port.

Samdech Thipadei underscored, "The new 253-meter container terminal, with a water depth of 11.5 meters, has significantly increased our port capacity. Last year, we reported a capacity of 550,000 TEUs, but we have now reached 750,000 TEUs. With the additional depth, container shipments in the Asia-Pacific can now reach 49.25 per cent, and global shipments can reach 18 per cent."

At this point, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet underlined that the expansion of container capacity at Cambodia’s ports will reduce transportation costs and provide more options for traders choosing between ports in neighbouring countries or Cambodia. This will improve the competitiveness of Cambodian ports and contribute to national economic growth.

"The expansion and the future construction phases will help Cambodia's ports compete on a global scale, making our shipping services more competitive and supporting the national economy. Building robust logistical infrastructure will enhance the country’s stability and potential," the premier added.

At the same time, Samdech Thipadei underlined that expanding port capacity and integrating it with the transport infrastructure system will significantly improve Cambodia's logistics capabilities.

The new container terminal, constructed and dredged to a depth of 11.5 meters, is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including two QGC container loading cranes, six RTG container cranes, and other essential equipment. This upgrade is expected to boost the terminal's capacity by approximately 450,000 TEUs per year.

The terminal enhances the functionality of Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, increasing its total capacity from 550,000 TEUs to 1 million TEUs annually. It allows container vessels with a draft of up to 10.4 meters to dock, which is projected to increase the port's share of global container traffic from 18 per cent to about 38 per cent. For vessels operating in the Asia-Pacific region, the share is expected to rise to 49.25 per cent.

The development project for the additional container terminal was undertaken by the Japanese company TOA Corporation, with technical supervision provided by Nippon Co., Ltd. and Oriental Consultants Global. The project, completed in August 2024, had a total budget of USD 37.5 million. This included concessional loans from the Government of Japan amounting to approximately USD 10 million, with the remaining USD 27.5 million funded by Sihanoukville Autonomous Port and some contributions from the Royal Government to cover various taxes.
=FRESH NEWS