Pelindo Records 14 Percent Growth in Container Traffic at Merauke Port

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA) - PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas, the operator of the container terminal at Merauke Port, has recorded a significant increase in container traffic, with a 14 percent growth over the past two years.

The Terminal Head of TPK Merauke, Muhammad Rasul Irmadani, said that container traffic in 2025 reached 52,715 TEUs, a 14 percent increase from 2024, which recorded 46,429 TEUs.

“Similarly, the 2024 traffic also grew by 14 percent compared to 2023, which recorded 40,671 TEUs,” he said in a statement received in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday.

Rasul mentioned that several efforts have been made to increase capacity at Merauke Port, including the repair and arrangement of the container yard.

The use of the container yard for stripping and stuffing activities has resulted in an average yard occupancy ratio (YOR) of 75 percent.

With the presence of an off-port depot, the YOR can be reduced to an average of 40 percent.

The company has also brought in several supporting equipment for container activities at Merauke Port.

Rasul said that an additional side loader, which is used as a lifting tool for empty containers, has arrived, along with a head truck and chassis for container transport.

In addition, there is also a reach stacker and two head trucks and chassis, which are currently in the process of being shipped.

“We strongly support the presence of an off-port depot so that the capacity of the container yard can be optimized for container loading and unloading activities, which are increasing every year,” he said.

The Head of the Merauke branch of the Indonesian Logistics & Forwarders Association (ALFI/ILFA), Abi Bakri Alhamid, said that the increasing development in South Papua automatically drives up logistics traffic to Merauke.

He believes that Merauke should have an off-port container depot as a long-term solution because container distribution can be better managed and not accumulate inside the port.

In addition, in the short term, containers going out of the port should be given permission by the local government so that they can go directly to the distributor’s warehouse.

“This is to prevent stagnation in the container yard inside the port,” he said.

The Head of PT Salam Pacific Indonesia Lines (SPIL) Merauke Branch, Puji Hermoko, said that the container yard inside Merauke Port is already quite crowded.

According to him, the presence of an off-port container depot is an urgent solution to alleviate congestion and facilitate the distribution of goods in eastern Indonesia.

The Head of the Class IV Merauke Port Authority Office (KSOP), Julivan Ch. L. Salindeho, added that stripping and stuffing activities are still being carried out inside the port area.

Therefore, the KSOP, together with Pelindo, the local government, shipping companies, and transportation service providers, are preparing an off-port container depot so that stripping and stuffing activities can be moved outside the port.

This will optimize the capacity of the container yard inside the port to speed up the loading and unloading process from and to ships.

“Although it covers 1.5 hectares, only about 1 to 1.2 hectares can be used optimally for the container yard,” said Julivan.