Sharjah’s ports

Sharjah’s ports

In 1998 Sharjah Ports Authority's twin container terminals at Mina Khalid and Khor Fakkan recorded a 5.58 per cent rise in throughput to 863,527 TEU. The jump in traffic was achieved against the backdrop of the economic downturn felt in many parts of the globe. Container throughput through Mina Khalid rose to 80,176 TEU from 64,564 TEU the previous year, a record 24.18 per cent growth. Traffic through Khor Fakkan on the UAE’s east coast rose 4.33 per cent to 750,817 TEU, the performance being attributed to the quality of services. Statistics show sustained growth in overall throughput, rising 26.68 per cent from 500,700 TEU in 1994 to 634,284 TEU in 1995, to 708,462 TEU in 1996, up 11.69 per cent, and 815,381 TEU in 1997, up 15.09 per cent.

The newly-commissioned 350-metre long deepwater berth at Khor Fakkan will increase the port's annual throughput capacity to more than 1.5 million TEU, confirming the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal (KCT) as one of the leading container transhipment facilities in the region. Part of a multi-million dollar rolling improvement programme, the berth extension brings KCT's total quay length to 1,060 meters and adds a further 100,000 square meters of paved stacking area.

During the berth construction a comprehensive dredging programme was completed, and the depth alongside berths, the enlarged turning circle and port approaches, are all now 15 meters at MLW, enabling the world's largest container ships to access the port with ease. Progressively, over the past few years, new container handling equipment has been introduced to maximize handling efficiency. The port now has eight Post Panamax and Super Post Panamax ship-to-shore gantry cranes, the two recent and largest of which can handle vessels stowed 18 containers across. KCT has four rail-mounted yard gantries and six state-of-the-art rubber tyred gantries (RTGs) and is taking delivery of four more RTGs from Liebherr.