The Kingdom’s only deep-sea port, operated by state-owned Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS), will launch a new multipurpose terminal on June 25, to accommodate larger vessels with heavy loads, it said on Wednesday.
PAS Chairman and CEO Lou Kim Chhun said the inauguration of the multipurpose terminal will be presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Once in operation, the new facility will be able to load shipments weighing in the range of 40,000-50,000 tonnes. This is more than twice the limit of existing terminals.
“As the terminal at the sea-port is deeper and can handle bigger vessels with heavier loads, sea transportation costs will become cheaper,” Kim Chhun said.
He said construction of the new terminal began in early 2015 using a soft loan from the Japanese development agency JICA. The final cost will be more than $70 million.
Cambodia Freight Forwarders Association (CFFA) President Sin Chanthy said that PAS’s new facility will contribute to a greater level of competitiveness in exporting goods and will simplify the work of freight forwarders.
Without the new terminal, Chanthy said PAS could not handle large vessels. This led to fewer customers and congestion while at port.
