HIT'S TECHNOLOGICAL TERMINAL
the world's largest and busiest privately owned container terminal.
HONGKONG International Terminals operates
"The intensity of the operation is probably seven times greater than that of New York. In other words, for each of our current 31 hectares of land, we handle seven times more containers a year than New York,” says HIT managing director John Meredith.
For HIT, this means turning round up to 150 ships a month, a rate that is only achieved by a heavy reliance on automation and dockside technology. The company has now embarked on the installation of a computer system that will put the location of containers and consignments online.
"The more we can computerize, the faster we can handle cargoes. We must constantly improve to keep pace with demand," says Mr Meredith.
The demand for speed is high in Hong Kong, where free port status means minimal customs formalities. Both consigners and consignees expect their shipments to be loaded or unloaded as soon as a ship comes alongside or a lorry moves through the dock gates.
"Ever since we developed here at Kwai Chung, we have been buying more superior and faster cranes and computers and reclaiming land. The terminal has never really stopped growing since its inception," points out Mr Meredith, who has been with HIT since 1971, when it handled just 8,000 containers in its first year of operations.
HIT now handles 45% of Hong Kong's container cargo, amounting to 860,000 TEUs (20 ft equivalent units) a year. A current project to fill in the Kwai Chung Creek will give Hong Kong's container port the capacity to handle 2.2 million TEUS a year.
And in December, 1985, an agreement was reached with the Hong Kong Government for reclamation of a further 29 hectares for the development of Terminal 6, at a total cost of about HK$2,000 million. Its completion in 1989 will give HIT a total handling capacity of 1.6 million TEUS a year and expand its Kwai Chung complex to 57 hectares.
HIT's container terminal activities are complemented by those of two subsidiaries. HIT (Transport) runs 90 container tractors and 332 multipurpose chassis to move containers to and from Kwai Chung, and Whampoa Marine Terminals handles containers and break-bulk cargoes for smaller shipping lines.
Despite the current trough in which most of the shipping industry has found itself, HIT has continued to perform well. Mr Meredith remains optimistic about the prospects for his company. “As long as we've got the best container terminal, we've got a bright future.”
JOHN MEREDITH,
MANAGING DIRECTOR
OF HONGKONG
INTERNATIONAL
TERMINALS.
"For each of our current
31 hectares of land, we
handle seven times
more containers a year
than New York."
17
HUTCHISON WHAMPOA LIMITED
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