Successful management of a sea port depends primarily on the skillful harmonization of various mode of transport on supplies and demands. The port is the centre of transportation of cargos and containers equipped with multimodal facilities to provide easy navigation for ships to and from the sea, typically it has transport links to the hinterland through river, road, rail and air routes.
Ports grow on along with the growth of trade volume. As we can see, it is the magnificent growth of the transport industry on a global scale that has played the key role in transforming our known world from a national context to a global one. Seaborne trade, in a sense, is at the apex of this global bid. Faster and cheaper seaborne transportation is one of the main catalysts for our national growth. It looks like the world is getting smaller, since societies that for millenniums, had practically been in oblivion of one another, are suddenly finding them in contact or conflict of interest with each other.
Traffic operations at port
Traffic Department is a vital organ of the port that covers operational areas including berths, warehouses, gates, terminals, container freight stations, railways, weighbridges and alike. It allocates berthing for vessels in addition to planning, organizing and execution of loading-unloading operations. Its functions also include,
- Management and storage of cargo in yards, sheds and warehouses
- Documentation related to receipt and delivery of cargo
- Planning, organization and execution of cargo movement through railway
- Provide security arrangement at the cargo handling areas
- Interaction with port users and service providers
- Liaison with other departments to ensure smooth operations
Modern concept of transport puts more emphasis on the port not just as the terminus or end of the movement, but as a point through which goods and passengers can pass easily. In other words, by acting as a vital link in a transport chain the port makes provision for the concept of a methodical transport operation.
Bangladesh, on the move
Economy of Bangladesh stands at the 45th (2016) position on the global index in terms of GDP growth. Since 2004, country’s annual GDP growth was about 6.5%. According to IMF report, Bangladesh is the 2nd fastest growing economy of 2016 with a growth of 7.1%. Hence, the Government Bangladesh aspires to leave the LDC’s group within next three to six years. Trade industry and service are now playing a major role in Bangladesh economy and they are heavily dependent on the port services.
Port is the pedestal for industrial development. The country has a huge workforce. It has a great opportunity to specialize in labor intensive industries and already emerging as a market leader in the global market for readymade garments, knitwear, Jute products, leather industries through sheer competency and cost effectiveness. The government has already taken steps to set up over 100 Special Economic Zone at various points across the country. To propagate this productivity, trade passing through the ports must be time saving and cost effective.
Basic industries, import substitute industries and project for future infrastructural development of the country also need agreeable port facilities apart from the export growth.
In the following sections, we have dealt with container handling volume of Chittagong port as an example to show the future needs in our port facilities.
Need for yard space
Chittagong port runs both off-dock & on-dock (port area) handling system of containers. About 30% of the import containers and 100% of export containers are handled at different private ICDs, railway ICD at Kamalapur and Pangaon Container Terminal. Rest of the 70% import containers is stored and handled at different terminals of Chittagong port. Based on the above assumption and using available formula, the requirement of yard space in the different handling systems is shown in Table-1.
Table-1 Yard Space Requirement
| Year | Through put (Boxes Moves/per year) | Straddle Carrier system (SC-3 H) (In Hector) | Yard Grantry System (In Hector) | RMG (In Hector) | FLT System (In Hector) | Formula |
| 2016 | 1019072 | 1019072×10/365/413 | 1019072×10/365/1000 | 1019072×10/365/1000 | 1019072×10/365/590 | Container Throughsput (Import)xDwell Time No. of working DaysxSC/Yard Grantry System/RMG/FLT System |
| 2017 | 1019072+1019072×15% | 67.61 | 27.92 | 27.92 | 47.32 | |
| 1171932.80 | 68 | 28 | 28 | 47 | ||
| 1171933 |
Yard Space Requirements from 2016-2030
| Year | Throughput Import (Boxes Moves/per year) | Straddle Carrier System (SC-3 H) (In Hector) | Yard Grantry System (In Hector | RMG (In Hector) | FLT System (In Hector) |
| 2016 | 1019072 | 68 | 28 | 28 | 47 |
| 2017 | 1171933 | 78 | 32 | 32 | 54 |
| 2018 | 1347723 | 89 | 37 | 37 | 63 |
| 2019 | 1549881 | 103 | 42 | 42 | 72 |
| 2020 | 1782363 | 118 | 49 | 49 | 83 |
| 2021 | 2049718 | 136 | 56 | 56 | 95 |
| 2022 | 2357175 | 156 | 65 | 65 | 109 |
| 2023 | 2710752 | 180 | 74 | 74 | 126 |
| 2024 | 3117365 | 207 | 85 | 85 | 145 |
| 2025 | 3584969 | 238 | 98 | 98 | 166 |
| 2026 | 4122715 | 273 | 113 | 113 | 191 |
| 2027 | 4741122 | 315 | 130 | 130 | 220 |
| 2028 | 5452290 | 362 | 149 | 149 | 253 |
| 2029 | 6270134 | 416 | 172 | 172 | 291 |
| 2030 | 7210654 | 478 | 198 | 198 | 335 |
The above figures show requirement of the Yard Space for the next 15 years in different handling systems.
Under the CTMS system, export container should be stored at the terminals as per the Yard Plan (Export) to ship the containers as per the ship’s storage plan. The export needs to stay at the port yards for a certain period. It is also assumed that capacity of off-dock will increase gradually in future and percentage of container handling will also increase day by day. As a result, in practice the figures may vary.
Berth Requirements :
Table-2 shows the need of berth in coming years
| Formula | |
| No.of Berth | T/(AP X NWH X ANS X ANG X U X W) |
| T= | Quayside Throughput p.a.=1599418 Box | Year | Throughput (Boxes Moves per year) |
| AP= | Average Productivity= 15 moves/per gang. | 2016 | 1599418 |
| NWH= | Net (effective) working hours per shift=6 hours. | 2017 | 1599418+1599418*15% |
| ANS= | Average No. of Shifts per day = 3 | 1839330.7000000 | |
| ANG= | Average No. of Gangs per vessel = 2.5 | 1839331 | |
| U= | Berth Utililsation Factor = 0.60 | ||
| W= | Working Days p.a. = 360 |
| Berth Requirement from 2016-2030 | Year-2016 | ||||
| Year | Throughput (Boxes Moves per year) | Berth Requirement | Berth Requirement | ||
| 2016 | 1599418 | 11 Bearth X 300metre | 1599418/15/6/3/2.5/0.65/360 | ||
| 2017 | 1839331 | 13 Bearth X 300metre | 1839330.7000000000 | ||
| 2018 | 2115230 | 15 Bearth X 300metre | 1839330 | ||
| 2019 | 2432515 | 17 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2020 | 2797392 | 19 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2021 | 3217001 | 22 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2022 | 3699551 | 25 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2023 | 4254484 | 29 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2024 | 4892656 | 34 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2025 | 5626555 | 39 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2026 | 6470538 | 44 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2027 | 7441119 | 51 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2028 | 8557286 | 59 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2029 | 9840879 | 67 Bearth X 300metre | |||
| 2030 | 11317011 | 78 Bearth X 300metre |
This is calculated based on the future forecast of ship handling.
The size of container vessel berthing at the jetties has been increasing progressively and it is assumed that in future this port will accommodate, even vessels with 300 meters of length. In future, the berthing period of container vessel will improve and reach the mark of 2.5 days. The berth occupancy is assumed to be 60% and working days to be 360 days per year. Based on the forecast and the assumption, the requirement of berths has been assessed and the authority can make plan to construct terminal/berths and other facilities to meet up the future needs.
Mind-set, the most powerful equipment
Table-3 shows the requirement of equipment in future in Chittagong Port.
| Year | Equipment Requirement |
| 2016 | Total No. of Berth = 11 |
| For 11 No. of Berth QGC Required = 11 x 2 = 22 | |
| For 11 No. of Berth SC Required = 22 x 4 = 88 | |
| For 11 No. of Berth RTG Required = 22 x 3 = 66 | |
| For 11 No. of Berth FLT Required = 22 x 2 = 44 |
| Equipment Requirement from 2016-2030 | |||||
| Year | No. of Berth | QGC | SC | RTG | FLT |
| 2016 | 11 | 22 | 88 | 66 | 44 |
| 2017 | 13 | 26 | 104 | 78 | 52 |
| 2018 | 15 | 30 | 120 | 90 | 60 |
| 2019 | 17 | 34 | 136 | 102 | 68 |
| 2020 | 19 | 38 | 152 | 114 | 76 |
| 2021 | 22 | 44 | 176 | 132 | 88 |
| 2022 | 25 | 50 | 200 | 150 | 100 |
| 2023 | 29 | 58 | 232 | 174 | 116 |
| 2024 | 34 | 68 | 272 | 204 | 136 |
| 2025 | 39 | 78 | 312 | 234 | 156 |
| 2026 | 44 | 88 | 352 | 264 | 176 |
| 2027 | 51 | 102 | 408 | 306 | 204 |
| 2028 | 59 | 118 | 472 | 354 | 236 |
| 2029 | 67 | 134 | 536 | 402 | 268 |
| 2030 | 78 | 156 | 624 | 468 | 312 |
Port Handling
Handling systems function differently for different ports in the world. It is calculated based on the throughput and number of berths. As the port uses different equipment in different terminals, the number of equipment will vary depending upon the throughput and handling system of a particular terminal.
In our study we have used available data of the Chittagong port. Currently, the port engages to straddle carriers at general cargo berth and rubber-tyre-gantry crane system at container terminals.
For an idea a comparative statement is given below.
Table – 4 Comparison of container handling systems
| Area of Comparison | Straddle Carrier | Yard Gantry Crane | Front-End Top-Pick Loader |
| Land utilization | Good 168 TEUs per acre 413 per hectare | Very good 325 TEUs per acre 802 per hectare | Good 240 TEUs per acre 590 per hectare |
| Terminal development costs | Medium | High | Medium to High |
| Equipment costs (Approximate) | $ 10,00,000 | $ 16,88,000 | $ 5,00,000 |
| Equipment service factor per container crane | 3 to 4 | 1 to 2 cranes, 5 tractor & Chassis | 2 |
| Operating labor | Low | Medium to High | Medium |
| Equipment maintenance | High | Low | Medium |
| Container damage | High | Low | Low |
| Operations control | Good but frequent yard checks required | Very good | Good |
| Advantages | Versatility | Low upkeep Good control Expandable system | Versatility low maintenance |
| Disadvantages | High damage & maintenance costs | Initial equipment and land preparation costs | Poor selectivity |
New perspective of port traffic
Chittagong port is currently undergoing a thorough development phase entering a new era. Completion of new jetties will open up a new dimension and will require multimodal efficacy in order to meet the future demand. Traffic system will be managed and monitored centrally from a control tower through sophisticated software and automation system.
The traffic and transportation will also require careful consideration from roads and motorways infrastructure of Chittagong and the ICDs. Evidently, a synchronization of the concerned wings is obligatory in setting the right rhythm of the port management leading the port to a greater success.
