The Government of Malaysia plans to build a RM28 billion (S$8.5 billion) port to boost the handling capacity for both container and conventional cargo at the main shipping hub of Port Klang. The project is expected to bolster Port Klang as a major shipping hub for the Asia-Pacific region.
The new port at Carey Island is planned keeping in mind the future growth of international trade, and to keep an eye on rival regional ports, including those in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, that are amid expansion. Captain K. Subramaniam, General Manager, Port Klang Authority, in an interview said that the additional capacity is also needed to meet rising demand within Malaysia, like from the expanding industrial hubs in Selangor and neighbouring states.
Port Klang, located along the Strait of Malacca, is a major industrial city in Selangor, Malaysia’s richest state. The Carey Island port is slated to handle 36 million shipping containers, known in the industry as twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a year. The port handled about 13.2 million TEUs in 2022. The new port’s annual capacity for conventional cargo will be around 40 million tonnes, compared with 27 million tonnes in Port Klang currently. On the other hand, the Port of Singapore located at the southern tip of the Strait of Malacca can handle up to 37.3 million TEUs a year.
