Patenga Container Terminal boosts capacity with addition of 14 new cranes

The Patenga Container Terminal at Chattogram Port has enhanced its container handling capabilities with the addition of 14 new Rubber-Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes to improve container handling speed and overall operational efficiency at the terminal.

The cranes, manufactured by the Chinese company GENMA, arrived in October. Following the completion of their commissioning, they were formally handed over this morning (15 December) to the terminal's Saudi operator, Red Sea Gateway Terminal International (RSGTI).

Once four gantry cranes are added by the end of May next year, we expect to reach full operational capacity

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Syed Aref Sarwar, head of Commercial and Public Affairs, RSGTI

The handover ceremony was attended by key officials, including the newly appointed Chattogram Port Authority Member (Engineering) Commodore Mazharul Islam Jewel, Bay Terminal Project Director Commodore Mahfuzur Rahman, RSGTI Chattogram Chief Operating Officer Any Lane, and GENMA Solutions General Manager Susan Zha.

Zha officially presented the cranes by giving a replica key to RSGTI COO Lane.

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The terminal, operated by RSGTI under a 22-year concession agreement since June last year, has recently shown steady growth in container handling after months of underperformance.

A turning point came in May 2025 with RSGTI's $3 million investment to install an import container scanner at its own expense, a piece of equipment the National Board of Revenue had long failed to provide.

Officials of the Chinese company GENMA formally hand over the cranes to officials of Saudi operator RSGTI on 15 December 2025. Photo: TBS

Between May and October, the terminal handled 108,228 TEUs, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total cargo handled during its initial 16 months of operation.

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Monthly cargo volume reached a record high of 25,018 TEUs in October, rebounding from a dip in September (17,337 TEUs). The growth is also evident in increased vessel arrivals, with seven vessels berthing in August alone.

Despite these gains, the terminal is still operating well below its design capacity; utilisation reached only 49% in October compared to its theoretical monthly capacity of 41,700 TEUs.

Port officials and RSGTI attribute this gradual scale-up to the standard development phase outlined in the concession agreement and the ongoing installation of equipment.

Additionally, Commodore Mahfuzur Rahman praised RSGTI's performance over the last one and a half years, noting, "Despite operating within a limited scope, the structured and automated manner in which they are running the terminal is commendable and instructive for us."

Cargo handling rises after Saudi Red Sea installs scanner at Patenga Terminal

He reiterated the CPA's goal of upgrading Chattogram Port to international standards and expressed confidence that RSGTI would continue to enhance port capacity while maintaining global operational benchmarks.

RSGTI Head of Commercial and Public Affairs Syed Aref Sarwar confirmed that the 14 RTGs will further accelerate terminal operations.

"Once four gantry cranes are added by the end of May next year, we expect to reach full operational capacity," he said.