A major transformation is set to take place at Chattogram Port with the construction of Laldia Container Terminal at Patenga, a completely new greenfield facility designed to emerge as Bangladesh’s first truly green port terminal.
The foundation stone of the terminal will be laid at Laldia project area on 30 August, formally launching construction of the project being implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The investment is estimated at more than $550 million.
Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury will attend the foundation-laying ceremony as chief guest, while Shipping, Road Transport and Bridges and Railways Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam will be present as a special guest.
According to the Ministry of Shipping, the terminal will feature a modern container yard, jetty, gate facilities and advanced cargo-handling systems. It will have an annual handling capacity of around 800,000 TEUs and a jetty of about 615 metres.
The project is expected to increase Chattogram Port’s container-handling capacity by around 44% and enable the port to accommodate vessels of up to 6,000 TEUs – more than twice the capacity of ships that can currently call directly at the port.
Spread over nearly 49 acres on Laldia Char along the Karnaphuli River, the terminal will have a jetty capable of berthing three medium-sized vessels or two large vessels simultaneously. The facility is planned to operate round the clock, including night navigation, which officials describe as a first for Bangladesh.
The terminal will be developed and operated by Danish port operator APM Terminals, which operates more than 60 container terminals in 33 countries.
Green technology at the core
A key feature of the Laldia project will be its focus on environmentally friendly technology. According to APM Terminals, electric equipment will be used for cargo handling, while solar power generation and shore-power-ready systems will be incorporated into the terminal.
The shore-power system will allow berthed vessels to use electricity from the grid instead of running onboard generators when required. This is expected to reduce fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, noise and air pollution.
The project’s greenfield concept therefore goes beyond developing a new terminal on previously undeveloped land. Low-carbon operations, electric equipment and environmentally sustainable technology are being incorporated into the terminal’s design from the outset.
Former Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association chairman Syed Mohammad Arif said the investment demonstrates strong international confidence in Bangladesh’s port and logistics sector and is likely to increase competition among terminal operators.
Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mohammed Amirul Haque said the investment by APM Terminals would enhance Bangladesh’s image as a safe and profitable investment destination.
He said the project’s impact would extend beyond the terminal itself, as the presence of a world-class operator could help attract more foreign direct investment to Bangladesh.
Given Chittagong’s strategic location, Mohammed Amirul Haque said the region has significant potential to become a regional investment and logistics hub.
He called for further investment in port infrastructure, including Bay Terminal, shipbuilding and other large-scale industries, to support Bangladesh’s ambition of becoming a trillion-dollar economy by 2034.
The terminal will have seven ship-to-shore (STS) cranes and 32 electric rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes. Its 616-metre jetty will have a maximum draft of 10 metres.
Of the 49.15 acres allocated for the project, around 32 acres will be used for the main terminal, 7.15 acres for the container yard and about 10 acres for truck parking and pre-gate facilities.
Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim said Laldia’s connectivity with the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, Karnaphuli Tunnel and Outer Ring Road would facilitate faster movement of cargo to the country’s major industrial and commercial centres.
The terminal’s larger vessel-handling capability, he said, would also help reduce the time and logistics costs involved in transporting import and export cargo.
The Laldia terminal is being developed under a Design, Build, Finance and Operate model. Construction is scheduled to take three years, with commercial operations targeted for 2030.
APM Terminals will operate the facility for 30 years, with an option to extend the operating period by another 15 years subject to contractual conditions.
Under the agreement, APM Terminals will also bear the project’s revenue risk until construction is completed, putting the financial burden of the development and pre-operation period largely on the private operator.
