Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) in Preah Sihanouk province. STPM
Prime Minister Hun Manet inaugurated the expanded container terminal at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) today, September 12, which now has the capacity to handle up to one million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) annually.
The expansion, which added 253 metres to the port, began in May 2023 with a total investment of $37.5 million. Of this, $10 million was financed by Japan, while $27.5 million came from PAS’s own budget.
The government also contributed by covering customs duties and taxes, according to Minister of Public Works and Transport Peng Ponea.
A TEU is a standard unit of measurement used to quantify cargo capacity for container ships and ports.
Ponea explained that the extension increased the port’s container handling capacity from 550,000 TEU to one million TEU per year. The port can now accommodate ships with a draft of up to 10.4 metres, increasing the percentage of global ships able to dock from 18% to 38%, with its capacity in Asia rising to 49.25%.
The minister also highlighted the port’s revenue performance for 2023, including nearly 800,000 TEU of containers processed, 1,506 vessels with a total carrying capacity of 19 million tonnes and total earnings exceeding $95 million – all representing positive growth.
"By the end of July 2024, the volume of goods handled reached 5.7 million tonnes, an increase of 26.52%. The volume of containers processed exceeded 520,000 TEU, up 26.18%. Business revenue surpassed $66 million, a 26% increase compared to the same period last year, marking unprecedented growth," he said at the ceremony.
According to Ponea, the port is currently constructing the first phase of a deep-water port with a length of 350 metres and a water depth of 14.5 metres.
He noted that this will increase the total capacity to 1.4 million TEU per year, allowing 93% of Asia-Pacific vessels to dock. He said the expansion is also expected to reduce shipping costs by approximately $200 per TEU.
Ponea noted that the country plans to further expand the deep-water port in the coming years, with the goal of reaching a container-handling capacity of 2.637 million TEU per year by 2030. The port will then be directly connected to global ports without any depth restrictions.
Japanese ambassador to Cambodia Ueno Atsushi, who attended the ceremony, reaffirmed Japan's commitment to supporting Cambodia’s efforts to expand its port capacity.
He emphasised that Japan will continue working with the Cambodian government, led by Prime Minister Hun Manet, to strengthen the relationship between the two nations.
"In front of [the prime minister], I assure the Cambodian people that the Japanese government will continue cooperating with Cambodia to further expand and enhance [PAS], in line with phase one of the Pentagonal Strategy and Cambodia’s port strategy, as announced by [Manet].
“This cooperation aligns with Japan’s development cooperation principles and the trilateral cooperation pact announced by Japanese Foreign Minister Yōko Kamikawa," said Ueno.
Manet praised the 71 years of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and Japan and encouraged relevant authorities to safeguard the achievements of the port expansion project.
