Gulftainer helps strengthen Kuwait Ports Authority

One of the reasons behind these productivity and efficiency gains is the close working relationship that has built up between the Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA) and its advisers, the Sharjah based Gulftainer.

Gulftainer started its involvement with KPA in 2002, to review performance at the country's ports and provide advice and recommendations as to how theses could be bought up to international standards.

At that time shipping lines were experiencing lengthy delays before berthing and productivity at the container terminals was low. There was a clear need to enhance port performance, both to meet the requirements of the Kuwaiti economy and to gear up to allow Kuwait to reassume its traditional role as a gateway for Iraqi traffic.

Moreover the ultimate aim of the Kuwait government was, and still is ports privatization. This required a prior strengthening of operational systems in the ports. Thus a small Gulftainer team was dispatched to work with KPA where they made a number of recommendations concerning port operations and working practices, advice which has been taken onboard to good effect.

"Over the past few years improvements have been made as a result of the collaboration between KPA and Gulftainer. The positive impact that we have made is reflected in the KPA's decision to extend the initial contract and allow Gulftainer an ongoing role in the management of the country's ports "

said Peter Richards Gulftainer General Manager.

The Gulftainer team provides strategic advice to the KPA on port operations, development and investment issues. Its staff also provides round-the-clock supervision of container terminal operations. Gulftainer has furthermore been able to enhance productivity at Shuwaikh port by utilizing two mobile harbor cranes. These are now operated by Gulftainer's own team of seven crane drivers and they support the two container gantry cranes in the port.

The possibility of Gulftainer bringing in further mobile cranes is now being discussed with the KPA, Mr. Richards says. The KPA is also planning to make a major investment in container handling equipment for both the Shuaiba and Shuwaikh ports.

Bids for the supply of seven post-panamax, ship-to-shore gantry cranes, with an option for four more, as well as 20 RTGs, 40 terminal tractors and 20 empty container handlers, have been sought and it is expected that firm orders will be placed by the end of the year.

The investments proposed are anticipated to have a significant impact on port operations. 'We are already now consistently achieving 50 container moves per hour and occasionally more than this. Productivity will increase further when there is more equipment available.' said Richards.

Additionally, the KPA is planning to dredge the channel leading to Shuwaikh port, which at present is only 8.5 m deep, to a minimum of 14 m in the foreseeable future. This will allow even bigger container vessels to call at the port in all states of tide, and should improve the economics of serving the Kuwaiti market.

The gains made in port performances have prompted the significant growth in container throughput that has taken place over the past few years. Whereas in 2000 Kuwait's port of Shuwaikh handled 225,000 container moves, equivalent to 308,000 teu, in 2005 455,000 moves or a throughput of 671,000 teu was achieved. Another year of double digit growth is on the cards for 2006.

Further changes to the Kuwait ports industry are planned. Port privatization is still being considered and Gulftainer is certain to throw its hat in the ring when the decision to proceed along these lines is made. The Kuwaiti government is also evaluating plans to build a state-of-the-art deepwater container terminal close to the entrance to Shuwaikh port. It is likely that the Kuwaiti authorities will seek a renowned international operator to manage the new facility, and Gulftainer indicates that it would be interested in participating in such a project.