Gulf Stevedoring Contracting Company (GSCCO), the Saudi Arabia-based subsidiary of UAE-headquartered global port operator Gulftainer, has completed the expansion of Jubail Commercial Port (JCP), according to a press statement from the company.

The expansion drive included the installation of additional assets and equipment worth $50 million, dredging to 14m datum, employing and training young Saudis in key positions and revamping the port’s IT system, the statement issued on Tuesday said. 

It said the installation of three Super Post-Panamax quay cranes, five rubber tyre gantries, and 18 reefer gantries increased the handling capacity of the port by up to 1.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from 700,000 TEUs.

It said the port also expects to handle vessels that have a 16,000 TEU capacity with the enhanced draft of 14m (15m depending on the tide). 

“While the Jubail port already records the highest individual quay crane productivity rate in the KSA, we expect the addition of three quay cranes to double the vessel operating rate (VOR) on mainline vessels. This will help ensure faster turnaround and assist shipping lines in reducing costs by approximately 25 per cent,” said Jason French, MD of GSCCO.

Currently, the statement noted, JCP has quay crane rates of more than 35 moves per hour (MPH) for containers.

With the installation of additional equipment, GSCCO also expects the port to offer a new gateway for imports to the recently opened International Maritime Industries Complex in Ras Al Khair, which is about 60 km north of Jubail, the statement said

In January 2021, GSCCO opened its inland container depot (ICD) and empty container yard inside the Jubail port enabling it to offer flexibility to exporters and to handle imports and General cargo handling/ storage, for major engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) companies.

JCP handles the majority of the 1 million TEU export market in the Jubail province, the statement said.

(Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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