Busan port gears up for expansion work to exceed record traffic

0
514

Busan pierSouth Korea’s Busan Port is planning more improvements this year, seeking to top the record-breaking number of containers it handled in 2014.

Port operator Busan Port Authority (BPA) disclosed that the port handled a record 18.678 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2014 for a 5.6% increase from 2013.

The record number consists of 9.25 million TEUs of local cargo (up 3.6%) and 9.42 million TEUs of transshipment cargo (up 7.7%). This represents the first time that transshipment cargo volumes overtook local cargo, said a media release.

Working toward a goal of 20 million containers in 2015, the BPA is pushing ahead with plans to construct an additional eight berths and a 1.91-million-square-meter logistics facility on the western and southern perimeters of Busan New Port.

At present, 22 berths are now in operation, and freight is also being handled at the 1.7-million-square-meter Northern Logistics Park and the 2.48-million-square-meter Western Logistics Park.

The port has also put in place a comprehensive port entry simulation system that makes it safe for ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) to call, and will remove a small island and conduct dredging work to a depth of 17 meters to ensure the continuing safety of these large vessels.

Earlier, two of the world’s largest container ships—the Maersk McKinney Moller and the MSC Oscar—made Busan their maiden port call and continue to visit regularly.

Meanwhile, BPA is positioning Busan as a global cruise destination. In 2014, the port welcomed 110 cruise ship visits and 250,000 passengers, a 10% increase on the previous year. Cruise activities added US$158 million to the Busan economy last year.

Busan Old Port is Korea’s first redevelopment port project. A new international passenger terminal for cruise ships will open in July 2015 and work is due to start later this year on creating a world-class marina for the leisure industry.

Photo courtesy of BPA