Ports of Auckland has announced another record breaking month in container volumes.
In a period of relentless growth, Ports of Auckland has reported record highs for the month of March.
The port handled 79,492 TEU – 16,771 TEU more than that of the same month a year previously.
Furthermore, this month’s result also knocked October’s result off the top spot as the most cargo handled in a single month in the facility’s history.
Ports of Auckland chief executive, Tony Gibson was pleasantly surprised with the latest news, saying “breaking the monthly record in March is unusual; normally the pre-Christmas period is the busiest. Solid import volumes plus a lift in exports gave March a real boost.”
The success in recent months has been put down to a massive restructuring of port operations in 2011, which appears to have boosted productivity hugely, making it much easier to handle increased volumes.
Nevertheless, Mr. Gibson has stated that with the sudden influx “there have been challenges; I’d like to thank our customers who we’ve worked closely with to deliver the best outcome.”
With such explosive growth set to become the norm, Ports of Auckland are planning ahead with some much needed expansion projects in the near future, including a renewed focus on rail and connectivity to the Wiri Inland Port to reduce pressure on the roads.
Nearly 1.1 hectares of paving has just been completed in order to accommodate a much larger truck grid and more container ground slots, whilst a new tug and six new straddles are expected to arrive in the coming months.
Plans for the order of a new crane are also expected, whilst a massive 50-metre extension of the Fergusson wharf is expected to begin later in the year.
