Northport (Malaysia) Bhd (Northport), a member of MMC Group, set a new record for the highest break bulk cargo handling from a single vessel. The milestone was achieved through the successful handling of 48,853 Freight Weight Tonnes (FWTs) of steel cargo from a conventional cargo vessel, MV Jin Chao, surpassing the previous record of 47,246 FWTs handled from MV Wu Yi Hai in May 2022.

MV Jin Chao, which carried steel cargo comprising hot rolled coils, wire rods and project cargo equipment, underwent operations from 10 to 13 March 2024 with eight working shifts at Wharf 15, Northport. The success of this operation was attributed to the excellent collaboration between Northport employees and contractors, ensuring faster turnaround times. Additionally, proper yard planning played a significant role in achieving this record-breaking performance by facilitating seamless and safe movement of cargo handling operations.

For the first two months of 2024, Northport handled a total of 1,883,588 FWTs of conventional cargo, a growth of 9.7% against the same period last year. Several key cargo segments contributed to this increased throughput, including chemical products, maize, iron and steel products and the Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) segment. Among these segments, the iron and steel products category stood out with a double-digit growth of 36%. This surge was contributed by the availability of iron and steel products at more competitive prices, sourced from China.

“The achievement of the highest break bulk cargo handling for MV Jin Chao vessel signifies Northport’s continuous commitment to meeting the demands of the market for the conventional cargo business. I am extremely proud of our employees, stevedores and handlers involved in the operations of this vessel, who worked tirelessly including on the first two days of Ramadan, to achieve this operational excellence,” said Northport’s Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Azman Shah Mohd Yusof.