The introduction of a single-window system at Malaysia’s Port Klang earlier this month has significantly reduced congestion at a major Asia-North European port that has battled to deal with volume spikes sparked by maritime traffic disruption in the Red Sea.
Until the launch of the Malaysia Maritime Single Window (MMSW) on February 17, the port faced challenges due to an influx of container vessels rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope.
Last June, delays spiked to nearly 40 hours, while in April, they peaked at about 10 hours, with some ships experiencing up to 20 hours of delay.
The Port Klang Authority (PKA) implemented measures to optimise operations, including diverting ships between terminals and investing in new equipment to reduce yard congestion.
However, according to several industry news sites, Kale Logistics Solutions' introduction of the MMSW has immediately reduced vessel processing from up to five days to within hours due to the real-time data and transparency of service level agreements.
An official PKA release said: "The ship clearance system has been a game-changer for us.
“Transitioning from a manual, time-consuming process to a seamless digital platform has significantly improved efficiency and reduced clearance times.”
KPA said the MMSW had digitally enhanced operations at Malaysia’s largest port, situated on the world's second-busiest shipping lane, the Malacca Strait, where 11 000 vessels call each year.
Further phases of the MMSW project were set to see more ports join the system, a statement added.
"I am proud to see how the system has helped Malaysian trade, as Malaysian ports reported over 30 million TEUs last year, a 10% increase compared to 2023,” Kale co-founder and director Vineet Malhotra said.
"The improvement already seen in Port Klang's operation speaks volumes for the capabilities of this level of collaboration, especially as Port Klang targets 15m TEUs in 2025."
