KUCHING: Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd (BPHB) is moving closer to realising the biohub project, which is now in its feasibility study phase, according to its chairman Dato Abdul Mutalib Alias.
“We seek to establish an industrial port complex with multiple stakeholders that leverages circular industries and clean energy, like hydrogen, to boost economic growth,” he said in BPHB’s 2022 annual report released recently.
The ambitious biohub project aims to set up an innovative, sustainable and competitive industrial port complex, and to make use of available biomass feedstock in Sarawak to develop the new circular industries, promote production of higher value-added exports, attract private and foreign investments, generate employment and diversify Sarawak’s economy.
The project will be developed by a consortium with the Port of Rotterdam (largest seaport in Europe), BPHB, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), and Regal International Group among the key partners. The project is coordinated by Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM).
Based on earlier media reports, the biohub port and industrial estate development project will be on 2,500 hectares of land between Bintulu and Samalaju with an estimated cost of RM20 billion over 10 years.
Out of the 2,500 hectares allocated, the biohub port will take up about 200-300 hectares while the industrial estate will be developed in phases with downstream companies, which will be allocated 30 hectares each. The biohub port will be operated collectively by the Port of Rotterdam and BPHB.
Abdul Mutalib said BPHB’s subsidiary BiPort Bulkers Sdn Bhd (BBSB) had expanded its facilities, with the commencement of the operations of four new export pipelines at its Palm Oil Northern 1 and Palm Oil Southern berthing docks in February 2022.
The additional pipelines have enabled BBSB to handling shipment operations from 17 lines simultaneously compared to the previous 13 lines. BBSB achieved an important milestone during the year under review as it finally crossed the threshold of 50 million tonnes of overall inward throughput recorded since the commencement of its operations.
In July 2022, he said Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd (BPSB) had obtained approval to expand its existing de-bonded area to attract more petroleum agreement contractors (PACs) to Bintulu Port. The expansion project will create additional capacity for supply base operations.
Reviewing the performance of BPHB in 2022, Abdul Mutalib said a key highlight was the maiden voyage and vessel naming ceremony of Tiger Bintulu — the world’s first and largest dual-fuelled LNG ISO tank carrier. Tiger Bintulu departed to Longkou, China after the ceremony, carrying 400 LNG ISO tanks.
“The 192-metre vessel’s maiden voyage from Bintulu Port and subsequent return calls for LNG ISO tank operations will help secure BPSB’s position as the first port in Malaysia to export LNG ISO tanks on a large scale and spur long-term growth in our throughput volume,” he added.
BPSB is the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in East Asia and operates Southeast Asia’s busiest multi-purpose port connecting over 40 million tonnes of cargo per annum to major international ports.
In its operational review, BPHB said BPSB’s other significant milestones achieved in 2022 include the signing of a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bintulu Port Authority, BPSB and Sarawak Petchem Sdn Bhd to jointly collaborate on the establishment and operation of the Sarawak methanol jetty, which is located within Bintulu Port’s water limits.
Sarawak Petchem is constructing a methanol plant which is expected to be operation in first quarter-2024, and BPSB will provide marine services once the plant commences operation.
In the run-up to the signing of the MoU, BPSB successfully completed two special shipments of project cargo for Sarawak Petchem in April and May where the vessels were safely navigated through the newly dredged Petchem channel and Petchem temporary jetty.
In 2022, BPSB also extended its contract agreements with three oil and gas players — Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, Thailand’s PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Ltd (PTTEP) and Vestigo Petroleum Sdn Bhd.
“We have also renewed our contracts for gassing up and cooling down (GUCD) services with Petronas LNG Ltd and bunkering services with Gafung Petroleum (M) Sdn Bhd. Sublease agreements with Agrifert and Mega Treeone Pellet, and a contract for the provision of pilotage services with Darussalam Pilotage Services in Brunei was also signed in 2022,” said BPHB.
BPSB had also signed a MoU with Sarawak Shell Bhd for the handling of sulphur which would be exported through the former.
“Operationally, we have ramped up the efficiency and productivity for the transport of palm kernel expellers and palm kernel shells by activating all five conveyors and four hoppers,” according to BPHB.
In 2022, BPHB recorded total cargo throughput of 43.98 million tonnes and container throughput of 364,169 TEUs. It received 7,152 vessel calls during the year.
