The terminal is capable of handling container vessels carrying up to 6,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). This is more than double the current practical limit for ships calling at Chattogram Port

The proposed layout and operational blueprint for the Laldia Container Terminal in Chattogram has been unveiled by APM Terminals. The $550 million project is confirmed to begin construction by the end of 2026, as the first detailed glimpse of the project has been provided.

 When it is finished, this will be the first container terminal in Bangladesh that is completely invested in by a foreign company. With a capacity of over 800,000 TEUs per year, it is expected to boost Chattogram Port's container handling capacity by almost 23%, alleviating congestion, enhancing efficiency, and lowering the cost of doing business.

 Strengthening Bangladesh's maritime logistics infrastructure

The project's progress has been welcomed by port users, who say that the planned investment and release of the terminal's design mark an important step towards strengthening Bangladesh's maritime logistics infrastructure. The company that runs the terminal in the Netherlands recently put the project's design and technical details on its website. These explain how the terminal is expected to increase the country's maritime capacity, allow larger vessels to enter, and make operations at Chattogram Port more modern.

Related: Bangladesh drops plan to lease key Chattogram container terminal amid protests

 A 30-year concession agreement

The revelation follows several months after APM Terminals BV entered into a 30-year concession agreement with the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) on 17^(th) November last year, to design, finance, construct and operate the terminal under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The terminal will be fully operational by 2030.

According to the published design, the terminal is capable of handling container vessels carrying up to 6,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). This is more than double the current practical limit for ships calling at Chattogram Port. A 613-metre quay with a draught of 10.5 metres will be included in the facility, and it will be equipped with seven ship-to-shore cranes, 32 electrified rubber-tyred gantry cranes (eRTGs) and 41 electrified terminal tractors (eTTs). The company anticipates that the terminal will be fully operational by 2030.

Bangladesh's links with regional and global markets

The project, as stated by APM Terminals, will enhance Bangladesh's links with regional and global markets, thereby supporting the country's rapidly expanding trade volumes. The new terminal is capable of handling vessels of up to 6,000 TEUs, meaning that Chattogram will be able to receive larger mainline container ships that operate directly between Asia, Europe, and North America.

Related: APM Terminals and Hateco Group continue a successful partnership with new terminal in Da Nang

 To enable Make direct calls in Chattogram

The Company is convinced that this would enable significant worldwide shipping partnerships to make direct calls at Chattogram instead of depending exclusively on smaller feeder services, greatly decreasing transit times and overall logistics expenses. The improvement will be of particular benefit to the export-oriented ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh, where shorter lead times are crucial for maintaining competitiveness on the global stage.

About: APM Terminals 

APM Terminals is the ports and terminals division of the Danish shipping and logistics company A.P. Moller-Maersk. Based in The Hague in the Netherlands, it runs around 60 ports and container terminals worldwide, having operated as a separate Maersk business division since 2001. 

# APM Terminals #Chittagong Port Authority (CPA)#Laldia Container Terminal #-Maersk# Bangladesh