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SCMP Reporter

THE Government has been approached to grant development rights for the much-delayed container Terminal 9 (CT9) to a consortium formed by Modern Terminals Ltd (MTL) and Hongkong International Terminals (HIT).

  The proposal has come from MTL, which, along with HIT, formed one of two consortiums granted the right to develop and run CT9 at the end of 1992.

  The other consortium was Jardine Pacific-led Tsing Yi Container Terminal group (TYC), comprising Sea-Land Orient Terminals, Hongkong Land Holdings, Sun Hung Kai Properties, Sinotrans and Hanjin Shipping Co of South Korea.

  MTL has also suggested that the rights to develop and run CT10, which is to be built on Lantau, be granted to the TYC consortium.

  Progress on CT9 has been held up because of an impasse between Britain and China over Hong Kong's political future.

  It has also been suggested that work on the two terminals, which will have four berths each, be started simultaneously.

  Under the 1992 grant, MTL and HIT would have got one berth each at CT9 and TYC two berths.

  The MTL proposal, forwarded to Economic Services Secretary Gordon Siu Kwing-chue, points out that operating one berth on CT9 would not be very practical for both MTL and HIT.

  MTL managing director Mark Leese said it would be ideal to get two berths next to each other to make transshipment easier.

  ''Some shipping lines like P & O have two ships coming in at the same time,'' he said.

  ''Maersk Line sometimes has three ships at Kwai Chung simultaneously.''   Mr Leese said if the development rights for CT9 were granted to HIT and MTL, each would get two berths on the $12 billion terminal.

  When CT9 is completed, MTL could sell its two berths on CT8 to HIT to enable the latter to consolidate on the south side of Tsing Yi Island.

  HIT is building two berths on CT8 in association with China Ocean Shipping Co.

  In return, MTL would get HIT's two berths on CT9.

  Mr Leese said that in case work on the two terminals was not started simultaneously, HIT and MTL would surrender the time advantage by leasing one berth each to TYC.

  The proposal has come from MTL because it led the negotiations for the development rights of CT9. HIT led the talks for CT8.

  Sea-Land, the world's largest container terminal operator, runs the one-berth Terminal 3 at Kwai Chung.



MTL and HIT seek to develop stalled container Terminal 9