Demand Rises, PELNI Add One Sea Toll Vessel to Morotai

As of the fourth quarter of 2020, KM Logistik Nusantara 6 owned by PT PELNI (Persero) will serve Morotai Island as an addiional route

Morotai, 21 October 2020 -  As of the fourth quarter of 2020, KM Logistik Nusantara 6 owned by PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia or PT PELNI (Persero) will serve Morotai Island as an additional route from its initial route. This addition was made at the request of the Morotai Island Regency Government to see the large number of potential return cargoes that could not be transported if only served by one Sea Highway ship, in this case, KM Lognus 3.

PT PELNI (Persero) Sea Toll and Freight Transport Business Director Masrul Khalimi said that the Morotai Island Regency Government specifically wrote to the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation and PT PELNI to request additional Sea Toll vessels due to the increasingly high return cargo from Morotai. Responding to this request, starting at the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2020, the Ministry of Transportation made changes to the T-10 route by adding Morotai as the destination for KM Logistik Nusantara or KM Lognus 6.

"Since 2017, container cargo from and to Morotai has been served by KM Lognus 3. However, in the past year, the potential for return cargo from Morotai has continued to increase so that it is not enough to be transported by one ship. Many local businessmen have complained, so we immediately coordinated with the Ministry. Transportation to answer this need, "said Masrul in Morotai Island Regency, Wednesday (21/10). Masrul is on a working visit to the Morotai Island Regency with the President Commissioner of PT PELNI Ali Masykur Musa.

Changes to Route T-10 served by KM Lognus 6 are regulated in the Decree of the Director-General of Sea Transportation, Ministry of Transportation Number: KP. 644 / DJPL / 2020 concerning the Second Amendment to the Decree of the Director-General of Transportation concerning the Network of Goods Transportation Routes at Sea, FY 2020

For information, Route T-10 served by KM Lognus 6 goes through Tanjung Perak - Tidore - Galela - Buli - Maba - Weda - Tanjung Perak. However, for the fourth quarter of 2020, KM Lognus 6 will continue the journey from Tidore to Morotai. Meanwhile, KM Lognus 3 has been navigating the Morotai route since 2017 as a T-15 route with the Tanjung Perak - Makassar - Jailolo - Morotai - Tanjung Perak route.

Meanwhile, PT PELNI recorded the production performance of KM Lognus 3 throughout 2020 carrying 739 TEUs for departing cargo and 971 TEUs for a return cargo. KM Lognus 3 itself only has a carrying capacity of 120 TEUs.

"The return load of KM Lognus 3 from Morotai itself reached more than 70 percent, while the rest was filled by return loads from Jailolo. This year, the highest return cargo from Morotai with KM Lognus 3 occurred in May to July which was recorded at 94 TEUs. , 207 TEUs, and 86 TEUs. Even though the average return load from Morotai in 2020 apart from the three months is only 50 TEUs, "Masrul said.

Due to limited transport capacity, PELNI once found that as many as 20 containers could not be loaded using KM Lognus 3. "This has forced local entrepreneurs to wait up to two weeks to wait for the next ship's schedule. If left too long, it will certainly disrupt business activities in Morotai" said Masrul.

With the entry of KM Lognus 6 to Morotai, Masrul believes it can answer the needs of local Morotai entrepreneurs who have recently grown. KM Lognus 6 itself has a carrying capacity for fully loaded loads of up to 250 TEUs, much bigger than KM Lognus 3 which only has a capacity of 120 TEUs.

For 2021, Masrul added, PT PELNI is ready to continue to include Morotai on the regular KM Lognus 6 route, provided that the Government has entrusted PT PELNI again to serve the Morotai route.

"The growth of Morotai return cargo cannot be separated from the role of the Morotai Island Regency Government which consistently supports the growth of local business actors who mostly produce processed coconut wood and its derivatives such as copra. Therefore we are always ready to support Morotai by providing reliable and scheduled freight transportation to provide business certainty, "concluded Masrul.

PELNI is a State-Owned Enterprise that operates in the field of sea transportation has currently operated as many as 26 passenger ships and visited 83 ports and served 1,100 sections.

In addition to passenger transportation, PELNI also serves 45 pioneer ship routes which become a means of accessibility for population mobility in the 3TP area where pioneer vessels stop at 275 ports with 3,739 sections. PELNI also operates a total of 20 Rede vessels. Whereas in the logistics business services, PELNI now operates 4 cargo ships, 8 sea toll vessels, and 1 cattle-specific vessel.

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If you need confirmation, please contact:
Yahya Kuncoro
Head of Corporate Secretariat PT PELNI (Persero)
Mobile: 0811 988 0162
Email: corporate.secretary@pelni.co.id