Increased Productivity at Port: Cargo Handling Corporation Implements Strategic Plan

The productivity of container handling at the port has seen a significant increase in recent months. Cargo Handling Corporation Ltd (CHCL) reported an average of 24.2, 26.5, 25.2, and 25.9 crane movements per hour from April to July, according to a press release issued at the end of the week.

This marked an improvement over the previous average of 22.2 crane movements per hour.

This rise in productivity is largely attributed to the dedicated efforts of CHCL’s employees and management.

In response to this improvement, the company has developed a strategic plan including a series of short- and medium-term initiatives aimed at further enhancing operational efficiency and productivity.

One of the immediate actions in the plan was the exclusive use of the Multipurpose Terminal for collection vessels.

This strategic move is designed to optimize crane utilization for handling larger mother ships.

Additionally, CHCL is considering the rental of two mobile cranes to support these operations.

The strategic plan also included investments in modernizing operational services.

Plans involved automating gate control services, implementing online documentation, introducing GPS tracking systems and OCR solutions for gates and cranes, and maximizing the effectiveness of the NAVIS Container Operating System to improve overall management.

Over the medium term, CHCL is aiming to invest in two Superpost Panamax cranes to replace three Hanjung cranes and six Rubber Tyres Gantry Cranes.

The three Hanjung cranes, which have been in operation since 1999, were decommissioned in January 2023 following recommendations from HPC Hamburg Port Consulting GMBH, a German firm hired in December 2022 to inspect the cranes.

These outdated cranes will be dismantled in the coming months, and CHCL will also replace its fleet of tractors and trailers.

“The implementation of the measures outlined in our strategic plan will require an investment of approximately Rs 2.2 billion and will be spread over the next three years.

These measures are expected to enhance Port-Louis’s competitiveness as a transshipment hub in response to competition from ports in Madagascar, La Réunion, Seychelles, and South Africa,” said Sanjaye Paddia, Officer in Charge of CHCL.

Paddia further noted that disruptions in maritime routes caused by the Red Sea crisis and current issues at the Port of Durban present opportunities for Port-Louis to capture additional cargo movements.

With the activation of the strategic plan, the Mauritius Container Terminal’s capacity is projected to increase by 150,000 movements in the short term, aiming for an annual target of 850,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

In 2023, the total movements recorded were 660,161 TEUs.

Additionally, CHCL has secured a Vessel Sharing Agreement (VSA) with CMA CGM and Maersk Ltd, ensuring an additional 70,000 TEUs of transshipment annually starting this year.

This volume was previously managed by the Port of Durban in South Africa.

Furthermore, Paddia added that the acquisition of the two Superpost Panamax cranes would contribute an additional capacity of 300,000 TEUs within the next two to three years.

Source: Le Mauricien