- Malé Commercial Harbour handled 14,525 TEUs in September, with 7,139 unloaded and 7,386 loaded, clearing 178,197 freight tonnes of cargo.
- Food shipments included 77,595 cases of eggs, 39,582 cases of bananas, 17,102 cases of tomatoes, plus onions and potatoes.
- The government targets 11 November 2027 for a new Thilafushi port with 390,000 TEU capacity and faster vessel turnaround.
Container throughput at Malé Commercial Harbour reached 14,525 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in September, as Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) prepares to move commercial port operations to Thilafushi.
MPL’s monthly statistics recorded 7,139 TEUs unloaded and 7,386 TEUs loaded. The company cleared 178,197 freight tonnes of cargo during the month, including consignments of essential food items.
Cargo clearance covered 5,673 consignments from container ships and 1,667 from general cargo vessels. The harbour received 14 container ships and 26 general cargo vessels during September.
Food shipments handled during the month included 77,595 cases of eggs, 39,582 cases of bananas and 17,102 cases of tomatoes. MPL also cleared 41,122 sacks of onions and 23,610 sacks of potatoes.
The figures provide a snapshot of cargo activity at the existing harbour as the government develops a larger facility at Thilafushi to address space constraints and improve cargo handling.
The government is targeting 11 November 2027 for the opening of the new port. According to the President’s Office, the facility will initially have an annual capacity of 390,000 TEUs. Its planned international quay and cargo handling equipment are expected to reduce vessel turnaround times to around two days, compared with seven to 14 days at Malé Commercial Harbour.
