At a recent media briefing, Hutchison Ports Thailand (HPT) introduced their new US$600 million Terminal D facility at Laem Chabang Port (LCB).
Upon completion of all phases, Terminal D will be the largest and most advanced deep sea container terminal in Thailand. One of the most notable features of the new terminal is that it will be the first and only terminal at the Port to feature remote control technologies.
HPT says that their new Terminal D is an integral part of Thailand’ s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) under Thailand 4.0’s objective to modernize the economy through improved infrastructure and innovation. Terminal D will set a new global standard of port operations which upon on its completion will greatly facilitate the growth of container volumes at Laem Chabang Port, adding much-needed capacity by 3.5 million TEUs. The initial phase of Terminal D, comprising 3 of the largest quay cranes in the world using remote control technology, will come into operation in mid-2018.
Speaking on the development of Terminal D at the media briefing, Mr. Stephen Ashworth, Managing Director – Thailand & South East Asia of Hutchison Ports said, “We are proud to be able to contribute to the Thai government’s vision for economic prosperity and Terminal D is our latest investment boosting Laem Chabang Port’s ability to facilitate the country’s growing trade activities.”
“The Hutchison Ports network includes 52 ports in 26 countries around the globe. We bring significant expertise to Laem Chabang, as well as global best practices, the world’s leading technology, and strong relationships with the world’s leading shipping lines. With the Government’s support, our advanced technologies will help to ensure Thailand’s sustainable growth.”
The new Terminal D will be capable of handling some of the largest ocean vessels currently in operation, offering customers more choice and flexibility, as well as improved efficiency and productivity. Upon full completion, the new Terminal D will have a total quay length of 1,700 meters, with 17 super post panamax quay cranes and 43 electric rubber tyred gantry cranes (yard cranes) using remote control technology.
Hutchison Ports Thailand (HPT), the largest terminal operator in Thailand, recently took delivery the first lot of twenty (20) new terminal tractor heads and chassis that will be utilized on Terminal D at Laem Chabang Port, and eventually there will be more than 100 tractor heads and chassis in total.
Terminal D is a new built terminal that when completed will be able to handle some of the world’s largest mega vessels currently in operation. Upon full completion of all phases of Terminal D, a total of 17 quay cranes and 43 rubber tyred gantry cranes using remote control technology will be deployed. Combined, the terminal will have a 1700 metre quay equipped with some of the latest technology, facilities, and largest equipment currently at Laem Chabang Port. The annual throughput capacity at Terminal D is expected to be around 3.4 million TEUs.
In a statement, HPT says that the new terminal embodies much of what they been steadily looking to accomplish over the past 15 years at Laem Chabang Port; increasing their presence, and in turn the sustainability of the Port itself. The investment into Terminal D is the collective manifestation of their work and looks to become a beacon for other terminals around the region to emulate.
This latest investment from HPT into new terminal tractor heads and chassis looks to play an important role at Terminal D, as HPT looks to continue their strong investments with future growth in mind for both the company and their customers in Thailand.
On Jan 24, 2018, Hutchison Ports Thailand (HPT) handled the first batch of 30 Ocean Network Express (ONE) containers that arrived at Laem Chabang Port, Thailand. The bright new forty-foot ONE Line containers that arrived at HPT’s A3 terminal were offloaded swiftly by HPT’s operations team.
Many prestigious guests were in attendance, including the board of management and staff from ONE Line and HPT. ONE Line is a new global carrier that was formed following the joint venture between Japanese top carriers NYK, MOL and “K” Line. The three carriers declared their intent to merge together in June 2017 and will officially launch full operations beginning in April of this year.
In a statement, HPT said they were honored to be the operator chosen by ONE Line to handle the first consignment of ONE Line containers in Thailand. HPT is the largest terminal operator at Laem Chabang Port and operates Terminals A2, A3 and C1&C2. Moreover, HPT is planning on even more expansion with the launch of their new ground-breaking Terminal D that looks to meet and exceed the growing demands of Laem Chabang Port. Recently, HPT received cutting-edge remote-control gantry cranes and rubber-tyred gantries that will be installed at the first phase of Terminal D – Phase 1A. The new equipment will be the largest and most technologically advanced cranes in Thailand.
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As the largest terminal operator in Thailand, Hutchison Ports Thailand (HPT), is leading from the forefront with the introduction of new ground-breaking, never before seen technology at Laem Chabang Port. Proving their prowess, they are investing into Terminal D, a new purpose-built terminal that when completed will be able to handle some of the largest mega vessels currently in operation.
While construction is still underway, key parts to the terminal were recently delivered. This included three quay cranes and eight electric rubber tyred gantry cranes delivered by one of the world’s crane manufacturers, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (ZPMC) in Shanghai. The new equipment most notably features remote control capabilities, a first for any container terminal in Thailand.
The new terminal embodies much of what HPT has been steadily looking to accomplish over the past few decades at Laem Chabang Port; increasing their presence, and in turn the sustainability of the Port itself. The investment into Terminal D is the collective manifestation of their work and looks to become a beacon for other terminals around the region to emulate. For more information about their developments into Terminal D and about the new equipment that was just delivered, we spoke further with Mr. Stephen Ashworth, Managing Director – Thailand & South East Asia at Hutchison Ports.
Innovative Equipment
Among the equipment recently delivered by ZPMC, the three remote control quay cranes (RC QC) have an outreach of 24 rows, a height above rail of 53 meters, and a lifting capacity of 61 metric tons. These RC QCs are among the largest container quay cranes in the world and will be by far the largest cranes operating in Thailand. The remote control electric rubber tyred gantry cranes (RC eRTGC) are capable of stacking 1 over 6 containers in the yard, and have a lifting capacity 40 metric tons. The RC eRTGCs are the first RTGCs of their type to be delivered to a Hutchison Ports container terminal globally – a significant milestone for Thailand and the Hutchison Ports group.
The investment in remote control technology that HPT is providing with this new terminal equipment will enable Terminal D to operate safely and more accurately, and in turn, allows the terminal to achieve even higher levels of vessel and yard productivity than is possible under a conventional operation.
Mr. Ashworth said: “Specifically, we’re looking at centralizing the operators of the gantry cranes in an operations centre with screens, consoles, and the operator is essentially monitoring the automatic lifting of containers on and off the vessels and within the yard. What we’re also trying to do is learn from our sister terminals in the Group that are already using this technology. We’ll be able to send staff to these terminals to train and learn so when the first phase of Terminal D comes online, we should have a lot of knowledge already in place. Once completed, Terminal D will be the group’s flagship gateway terminal for the South East Asia region, and it will be used as a platform for training our own operators on remote control operations and also bringing our people to Thailand from all over the world to train here.”
Mr. Ashworth continued: “The plan with Terminal D is to make it so the largest of vessels can come to Laem Chabang Port. These larger vessels may take some time before they cascade to Thailand, but we are still thinking ahead of the curve. We are investing in cranes at Terminal D that are a bit larger for vessels to grow into. Besides larger equipment, we are also investing in remote control technology for Terminal D. While this technology is brand new for Thailand, many terminals have moved, or are moving to this type of operation. Not too long from now, it will most likely be unusual to see a major container terminal running under a conventional mode. It’s also certainly more appealing to staff at the terminal as well; at the core of it, our crane operators can work in a much more comfortable environment and it also helps to keep productivity high”
The new equipment is just one part of HPT’s overall strategy for expansion in Thailand. HPT already operates Terminals A2, A3, C1, and C2 at Laem Chabang Port, which are currently operating at close to capacity. The additional capacity at Terminal D will enable HPT to meet the anticipated growth in demand of the market going forward. The new terminal will bring HPT’s total capacity to in excess of 6 million TEUs, cementing their place as the largest terminal operator in Thailand.
When the Terminal D facility is completed, it will become an integral part of the government’s infrastructure plans for the Eastern Economic Corridor Development Project (EEC). The announced plans to start the EEC Development Project is expected to drive further growth in the future which means that this is the ideal time for Hutchison Ports Thailand to be in the midst of constructing Terminal D.
“The initial Phase 1A of Terminal D will be comprised of 400 metres of deep water berth, 3 super post-panamax quay cranes and 10 supporting yard cranes, and should be operational by around the middle of 2018,” said Mr. Ashworth. “By the middle of 2019, the remaining Phase 1B of this first phase of Terminal D will be completed delivering a combined total of 1,000 metres of berth, 6 quay cranes and 20 supporting yard cranes. We’re designing this as a premium terminal for our customers who are looking to deploy larger vessels to Laem Chabang Port and to benefit from shorter vessel turnaround times in order to stay competitive and realize cost savings. Our niche market is going to be for larger long-haul vessels operating shipping routes to say, North America and Europe. However, while we’re designing the terminal with larger vessels in mind, it doesn’t mean that we won’t accommodate smaller feeder and intra-Asia type vessels there. The terminal will be available to any of our customers. We’re flexible already with the terminal space we have at Laem Chabang, but this opens up and gives us even more flexibility.”
Beyond the opening of Terminal D, Mr. Ashworth sees Thailand as being a major South East Asian gateway terminal for their Group in the next 5 to 10 years. “Terminal D will be one of the largest remote control operated terminals in the world. This level of investment in infrastructure, equipment and technology reflects both the Hutchison Ports Group’s commitment to Thailand and Laem Chabang Port and its desire to transform Hutchison Ports Thailand into one of the Group’s flagship terminals. We are in this for the long term and we’ll continue to invest in a future for us and our customers here in Thailand.”
In a statement, Police. Lt. Thanabodee Toopteanrat, Director of Operations Bureau of LCP, said: “HPT’s investment into terminal equipment with remote control technology will enable Terminal D to operate with a high degree of accuracy and safety. Upon Terminal D’s completion, the Port will also be able to service the largest container vessels currently in operation. In addition, Terminal D and the flexible technology it brings, will enable HPT to increase the capacity of import-export cargo through the Port. All of this will play an important role in supporting the economy of the country and the government’s infrastructure plans for the Eastern Economic Corridor Development Project (EEC). It will also help Laem Chabang Port to achieve its vision of becoming a multimodal transport and logistics hub for ASEAN.”
Hutchison Ports Thailand (HPT), the largest terminal operator in Thailand, took delivery of three quay cranes and eight rubber tyred gantry cranes the afternoon of Friday, January 12, 2018 by M.V. ZHEN HUA 14. The cranes are manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (ZPMC) in Shanghai.
The new equipment most notably features remote control technology, a first for container terminals in Thailand. The three remote control quay cranes (RC QC) have an outreach of 24 rows, a height above rail of 53 meters, and a lifting capacity of 61 MT. The remote control electric rubber tyred gantry cranes (RC eRTGC) are 1 over 6 type, and have a lifting capacity 40 MT. The RC eRTGCs are the first RTGCs of their type to be delivered to a Hutchison Ports container terminal globally – a significant milestone for Thailand and the Hutchison Ports group.
The investment in remote control technology that HPT is providing with this new terminal equipment will enable Terminal D to operate safely and more accurately, and in turn, allows the terminal to achieve even higher levels of vessel and yard productivity than is possible under a conventional operation. Container loading and unloading operations will be monitored by trained operators located in a remote control centre.
The new equipment is just one part of HPT’s overall strategy for expansion in Thailand. The equipment will be put to good use at the terminal operator’s Terminal D facility at Laem Chabang Port, which when completed will become an integral part of the government’s infrastructure plans for the Eastern Economic Corridor.
HPT already operates Terminals A2, A3, C1, and C2 at Laem Chabang Port, which are currently operating at close to capacity. The additional capacity at Terminal D will enable HPT to meet the anticipated growth in demand of the market going forward. The new terminal will bring HPT’s total capacity to in excess of 6 million TEUs, cementing their place as the largest terminal operator in Thailand.
On full completion of all phases of Terminal D, the facility will operate a total of 1,700 meters of berth and 17 quay cranes. It will be one of the largest remote control operated terminals in the world. This level of investment in infrastructure, equipment and technology reflects both the Hutchison Ports Group’s commitment to Thailand and Laem Chabang Port and its desire to transform Hutchison Ports Thailand into one of the Group’s flagship terminals.
Mr. Stephen Ashworth, Hutchison Ports Managing Director – for Thailand & South East Asia, said: “Terminal D will be capable of servicing the largest container vessels currently in operation, and this is where we believe we’re differentiating ourselves from other terminal operators. We’re really designing this as a premium terminal for our customers who are looking to deploy larger vessels to Laem Chabang Port in order to stay competitive and realize cost savings. However, while we’re designing the terminal with larger vessels in mind, it doesn’t mean that we won’t accommodate smaller feeder and intra-asia type vessels there. The terminal will be available to any of our customers. We’re flexible already with the terminal space we have at Laem Chabang, but this opens up and gives us even more flexibility. We’re hoping that the new Terminal D will lead to new opportunities for both ourselves and the port, and we’re looking to grow alongside Thailand.”
Hutchison Ports Thailand (HPT), recently announced that the company hit another milestone with the handling of their 20 millionth TEU container since the commencement of operations in 2002.
Managing Director, Stephen Ashworth and the company’s employees recently celebrated the achievement at an employee event. Mr. Ashworth said, “This is a significant milestone for HPT and the Hutchison Ports group and has only been made possible by the hard work and professionalism of our employees. It is a proud moment for all of us and I would like to congratulate everyone concerned on this very special occasion”.
Mr. Ashworth further explained that HPT’s existing Laem Chabang Terminals A2, A3, C1 and C2 are already operating at close to capacity and the first phase of HPT’s D Terminal will commence operations by mid-2018. The quay and yard cranes at Terminal D will be operated entirely by remote control technology which will improve berth and yard safety and lead to higher levels of productivity for shipping lines, shippers and consignees.