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New plan allows more
ships to dock
LAE’s main wharf, Papua New Guinea’s biggest sea port, will be
redeveloped to ease congestion, the city chamber of commerce said.
Allan McLay, president of the Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said
the wharf was the economic hub of PNG and had the potential to become a
major port in the Pacific by servicing Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and
other Pacific countries.
From 2004 when fuel prices rose, Lae saw an increased number of shipping
lines transit through the port, putting strain on its limited
facilities.
Mr McLay said many shipping companies used Lae port to off-load their
cargoes.
They then moved their cargoes through local coastal shipping companies
as a cheaper alternative than to going direct to Madang, Manus, Kavieng
or other smaller ports.
“The current port facilities are inadequate to cater for the increased
shipping movements, thus the need for more facilities,” Mr McLay said.
He praised the PNG Ports Authority for fixing its facilities and
carrying out upgrading work but they were not enough to cater for the
increased activities.
“They (PNG Ports) had done a good job but not enough to cater for the
increased port activities.
To address this, the ADB, commissioned by PNG Government through the Lae
Ports Corp Ltd, will fund a US$50 million redevelopment of the Lae main
port.
Preparations are well underway for the project, which will see a Tidal
Basin dredged to allow ships load and unload. A new wharf and a
container storage yard will also be developed.
Construction of these new port facilities would start by late 2008 or
early 2009.
Upon completion, the Tidal Basin will be approximately 500m long and
300m wide with a depth of 13m.
Mr McLay said currently the port is inadequate to cater for predicted
increased shipping movement.
At present, there are two to three ships waiting out at sea daily for
berths. Completion of the redevelopment project will allow more ships to
dock and unload their cargos. There will also be a bigger container
yard.
 
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