US Warshios Trigger Long Waiting Line of 15 Commercial Ships

Surabaya, East Java - Indonesian harbor managing company Pelindo estimated that the arrival of three US warships to cast anchor at Jamrud Utara Pier in Tanjung Perak port Surabaya has triggered a waiting line of 15 commercial ships in the area. "Right now a location sterilization is being done for which supporting boats have been mobilized," spokesman for PT Pelindo III Edi Priyanto said at his office in Surabaya Monday. He said on Tuesday (May 29) three US warship will be coming, namely US Ship Germantown, US Ship Vandergrift, and USGC Waesche. The three warships will cast anchor at Jamrud Utara pier with a total length of 353 meters. "While Jamrud Utara has a length of only 1.2 kilometers and passenger ships have a location of only 500 meters," he said. Then the length is reduced by improvements and repairs to strengthen the pier by 120 meters, leaving only 235 meters of the length of Jamrud Utara pier that can be used to moor commercial ships. "The 15 ships waiting in line to cast anchor at Jamrud Utara pier included KM Aya, MV Team Progress, MV Han Splendor, MV Lan Ha, MV Golden Princess, MV Fareast Glory, MV Thigayu, MV Acacia, MV Taikli, BG Luna Mulia, MV Pos Ametrin, Zeus, MV Ocean Friends, MV Woohyun Haemil, and MV Bao Ying," he said. In the meantime, he added, the commodities carried by the 15 ships included containers, steel billets, PKE/fertilizer, raw sugar, tapioca, meal, steel coils, sponge iron, iron products, and general cargo. "The economic impact of the 15 commercial boats may become apparent only on May 28 and 29, 2012 even if the three warships have left the Surabaya waters on June 7, 2012," he said. The effects is very big to economic players, he said. Especially that Jamrud Utara pier are for the mooring of ocean going commercial and passenger ships. With the presence of the US warships, it has been predicted that the time needed to restore the condition may be three months. "A ship needs three to four days to unload its cargo because of the shortage of trucks from the Sea Ship Cargo company and the limited capacity of the storehouses," he said. Now he said what can be done is to suppress the Loading and Uploading Companies but the results are not too significant. In the meantime, the three US warships invited by the Indonesian Navy for war exercises have moored at Jamrud Utara pier Tuesday. "On June 3-5 they will be leaving for exercises and returned on June 6 and leave Jamrud port on June 7,2012," he said. (*)