Sapangar port wins APEC Green Port Award
KOTA KINABALU: Sapangar Bay Container Port (SBCP) was recently announced winner of the Green Port Award System (GPAS) for Year 2019 at the APEC Port Services Network (APSN) Forum held on September 24 in Cusco, Peru.
A globally recognized award, the GPAS program is a green evaluation system assessing sustainable practices by port operators and authorities within the Asian Pacific region. The GPAS is an integral initiative by APEC (AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation) aimed at encouraging green and sustainable development in port and port related industries.
It is also a platform for sharing best practices among ports in the APEC region, raise the profile of ports committed to green practices, and improve their capacity for sustainable development.
The award was presented by Maria Jara Risco, the Minister of Transport and Communications of Peru and Tan Cheng Peng, the First Vice-President of the APSN Council, witnessed by Edgar Patino, the chairman of the Board of the National Port Authority of Peru and Fei Weijun, the secretary-general of APSN.
SBCP was recognized for the numerous green initiatives taken such as the installation of electrical Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes, usage of LED lighting and implementation of the Autostore Terminal Operating System which minimizes paper consumption. The APSN council further noted SBCP’s active engagement in ecological conservation through projects such as seagrass transplanting, mangrove restoration and rehabilitation projects across the port locality.
“Since introducing the Green Port policy in 2015, we have encouraged the use of renewable energy sources in port operations as well as efficient energy consumption.
In addition, Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd annually initiates high impact projects in ecological and environmental conservation and collaborates with established NGOs and local universities in preservation and research work. Sustainability is greatly emphasized in our operations and the GPAS recognition further strengthens our long-term commitment to sustainable port development.
Our long-term strategy aims to have all eight ports under our management to operate as green ports and eventually become a paperless port,” said Ng Kiat Min, managing director for Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd.
For the benefit of local parties involved in SBCP’s green efforts, the GPAS award was presented a second time during the second Sabah Port Forum in Kota Kinabalu on October 1 by Dato’ Kamarudin bin Jaffar, Deputy Minister of Transport Malaysia to Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd chairman Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin.
SBCP now joins the line-up of past Malaysian winners which comprise Port of Tanjung Pelepas (Johor), Pelabuhan Klang (Selangor), Johor Port Authority (Johor) and Bintulu Port (Sarawak).
Apart from Malaysia, international recipients includes China’s Ningbo Port Co Ltd, Qinghuangdao Port Co Ltd, Shekou Container Terminals Ltd, Xiamen Hairun Container Terminal, Xiamen Ocean Gate
Container Terminal, Shanghai International Port (Group) Co. Ltd, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (Hong Kong), Chiwan Container Terminal Ltd. Shandong branch, Singapore’s Jurong Port Pte Ltd, Port of Singapore, PSA
Corporation Ltd, Thailand’s Bangkok Port, Port Authority of Thailand, Philippines’s Port of Batangas, Port of Cagayan de Oro, Vietnam’s Tan Cang Cat Lai Port and Taipei’s Port of Taipei.