Panstar V. PS001S’s maiden voyage to Kota Kinabalu Port on 28th March 2006 was well receive by Sabah Ports Sdn. Bhd. (SPSB). This was the first direct call by a container vessel from the Far East to Sabah which marked the beginning of another milestone in the shipping fraternity that augurs well for Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd and Sabah as a whole.
The vessel which sails direct from Hong Kong will be servicing weekly calls to Kota Kinabalu thus facilitating the company, DMM Shipping Agency to foster Kota Kinabalu as the hub for containers bound for other regions of Sabah, This fits very well into SPSB’s plans of making Kota Kinabalu Port at present, and later Sapangar Bay Container Port, the shipping and transshipment hub of BIMP-EAGA and the region.
Sapangar Bay Container Port, being built a cost of about RM400 million is scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of 2007. By then the container at Kota Kinabalu Port would be moved to Sapangar, leaving behind the non-container operations.
Sapangar Bay Container Port would have a 500 meters jetty with 12 meters depth alongside and two inner berths of 200 meters each. On shore facilities include a 15-hectare container yard and CFS, equipment. The annual throughput capacity is expected at 350,000 TEUs per annum.
By: Sabah Ports Sdn. Bhd.
