Abu Dhabi’s new Khalifa Port saw container throughput in July hit record levels, with 81,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) passing through the facility.

This is the highest volume of traffic to be recorded by Khalifa Port, according to Abu Dhabi Ports Company. It is an increase of more than 50 per cent on January throughput of 52,785 TEUs. 

Throughput did drop slightly in August to 78,632 TEUs.

The 2.5 million-capacity port became operational a year ago on 1 September. It replaced the older and smaller Mina Zayed port, situated in Abu Dhabi’s city centre. All the container ship business was transferred to the Taweelah-based Khalifa Port and the old port remains focused on bulk, roll-on/roll-off and general cargo. There are also plans to develop Mina Zayed into a cruise destination.

The opening of the Khalifa facility boosted container throughput figures across all Abu Dhabi’s ports in 2012. The total volume of containers handled increased by 2.5 per cent, reaching 787,048 TEUs compared with 767,713 TEUs recorded in 2011.

Khalifa Port is set to increase its capacity in the coming years. The original masterplan envisages the port’s capacity expanding to 15 million TEUs and 35 million tonnes of cargo each year.