The move to build three new container berths and order additional container handling equipment is putting Salalah Port in a good position to tackle future growth and draw new shipping lines to participate in the transportation of local cargo as well as transshipments.
Salalah is, for the moment, mainly a transshipment centre — serving the needs of Maersk and Safmarine among other lines. However, the success of the Salalah Free Trade Zone, which has attracted well over $1bn of investment, much of it in export-oriented businesses, could generate the base cargo necessary to induce more container lines to start calling there.
A petrochemical company that began operations last year at the free trade zone expects to ramp up its production and exports within the next two years. The Port of Salalah is located in Southern Oman, at the Indian Ocean rim and right at the main shipping route between Asia and Europe. In 2007, it handled more than 2.6 million teu, an increase of over 10 per cent compared with the 2.39 million teu recorded in 2006. The throughput for bulk and general cargo in 2007 was 2.8 million tonnes. The port is a joint venture between the Government of Oman, AP Moller – Maersk and other Omani investors. It is operated by APM Terminals.
Anticipating a growth in demand for port services, the Port of Salalah announced earlier this year its plan to build three new container berths to reach a total of nine by the end of 2012.
The new facilities will add 3 million teu, raising total capacity to 9 million teu.
But that aggregate figure presupposes that the six existing berths will have their capacities raised from 4.5 million teu to 6 million teu.
That will happen when several new cranes ordered by the port at a cost of $112 million will be put into service.
The signing of an MoU by the Government of Oman and Salalah Port Services (SPS) for the construction and operation of three additional berths is considered a significant development.
Gary Lemke CEO of the port, said “Since its inception The Port of Salalah has always strived to be an industry leader in innovation and port development. To ensure continued success we must make necessary long-term investments. Our business growth makes it important for us to increase available capacity in order to maintain our consistently high-quality service to our customers as our throughput continues to increase.”
Berth No 5 was opened in 2007, and earlier this year, berth No 6 was completed.
Berths 7 to 9 will comprise the first stage of Terminal 2 and encompass 1,350 m of quay. Berth 7 is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2011, with berths 8 and 9 scheduled for completion in 2012.
Terminal 1 comprises 6 berths along 2,205 metres of linear berth operated with 17 super post-Panamax gantry cranes. 
“Under the MoU,  the SPS will act as overall project manager of the expansion project. Significantly, the three new berths and all associated work will be implemented as two separate contracts. While the government will undertake the dredging and reclamation work, SPS will handle the quay wall, backfill and infrastructure work.
Included in the government work package is the dredging of the approach channel and basin, excavation of the trench for the quay foundations, reclamation and paving of the terminal area, construction of retaining bunds and revetments, construction of the inner breakwater, and installation of navigation aids.
Envisaged in SPS’s package is the construction of quay walls, crane rails, bollards and quay furniture, paved container storage yards and roadways, reefer gantries, a bunkering system, and the provision of a broad range of utilities.
New investment in material handling includes four new super post-Panamax gantry cranes to complement the current 17. These cranes can operate the largest vessels in the world with their ability to reach containers stacked 23 across on deck. The investment will also include four mobile harbour cranes, 10 new spreaders that allow twin pick capability and 11 additional rubber-tyred-gantry cranes. Regional marketing manager Morten Lund said: “The port of Salalah has been operating at a level close to maximum throughput capacity for the last couple of years, and this has limited our ability to increase throughput from existing customers, let alone open the port up to other shipping lines.”

Innovation
The port has introduced the MoorMaster system, described as an innovative way to moor vessels, and has ordered 12 units from Cavotec.
“The MoorMaster system, a vacuum-based approach to vessel mooring instead of mooring lines, is an innovative approach to berth productivity, safety and costs,” a Port of Salalah statement said.  The system  is under consideration at other APMT locations.
The statement said APMT was “redefining the industry” by offering new solutions to customers
“The benefit of MoorMaster to our customers is faster berthing and vessel departure and cost savings in tugs, pilots and mooring lines. It also has eco-value, since tugs alongside during surge conditions and vessel engines are not required.
“Equally important, it offers significant safety value, since longshore workers are not exposed to the danger of snapped mooring lines.”
 
A range of services
As well as stevedoring and a tug service, the port provides container maintenance and repair, bunkering, storage of non-refrigerated containers and warehousing as well as the services of a container freight station. A variety of value-added services is offered including palletisation, cross-stuffing,   repairing of damaged pallets, marking and labelling and sea-air cargo handling.
For general cargo, the port has 12 berths for vessels. An extensive open and covered storage space and custom-designed handling equipment are offered.
Bulk cargo accounts for about 80 per cent of annual throughput at the General Cargo Terminal (GCT)
Bulk liquids handled at the terminal include petrol and diesel. There are three petroleum companies that operate at the berth in the GCT, namely Shell Marketing, BP-Oman, and Al Maha Petroleum. The products are pumped into their storage tanks outside the GCT for further distribution to service stations.