APM Terminals Bahrain, the facilitator of maritime trade in Bahrain has invested in enhancing reefer service capabilities at Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP).
Through its multi-purpose and modern port facilities, APM Terminals Bahrain plays a key role in facilitating external trade and marine services via container terminal activities, General Cargo, RoRo, Cruise and related port services, thus contributing significantly to Bahrain’s economic growth.
Along with 24/7 electricity infrastructure and monitoring for all refrigerated cargo at the port, APM Terminals Bahrain customers now have the option of performing pre-trip inspection (PTI) for their reefer containers within the terminal’s facilities.
The upgrade is in line with APM Terminals Bahrain’s commitment to enhance its service offerings for reefer containers, which comprise 14% of full imports and 3% of full exports, said the statement from APM Terminals Bahrain.
With this, KBSP is equipped to provide all types of reefer related services including plugging and unplugging of electricity, PTI, cleaning, attending to malfunctioning reefers and minor repairs, it stated.
CEO and Managing Director Maureen Bannerman said: "We’re continually investing in KBSP infrastructure to meet our customer demands in line with growing industry requirements with an extensive range of ancillary reefer services."
"Our one-stop shop for reefer services at KBSP will help our customers in optimising their operations by further extending the shelf-life of their perishable goods. Moreover, this will allow shipping lines avail cost efficiencies," noted Bannerman.
With this new service, APM Terminals Bahrain expects to expand beyond PTI and provide attendance services for malfunctioning reefers in line with the strict guidelines provided by shipping lines, she stated.
PTI is an inspection conducted on an empty reefer container prior release/use, to ensure the correct functioning of the cooling unit, temperature control and recording devices.
This also includes checking the container for any structural damage and ensuring that the interior of the container is clean and cargo-worthy in all respects.
"Provision of these services at KBSP, will also enable our customers to arrange for attendance of any malfunctioning reefers within a shorter timeframe, thus mitigating the risk of damage to perishable cargo," said Bannerman.
"This is vital for the growth of Bahrain businesses as it ensures that reefers with perishable products are supported by world-class services while at KBSP, thus contributing to ensuring that their produce reaches the customer in prime condition," she added.