The terminal, located at Chittagong Port, Bangladesh’s largest seaport and principal gateway for international trade, is expected to substantially increase container-handling capacity following the deployment of four specialized gantry cranes that arrived on site on Friday, company officials said.

RSGT has operated the Patenga Container Terminal since June 2024 under a 22-year concession agreement with the Chittagong Port Authority. The company described the past two years as a preparation and soft-launch phase focused on infrastructure upgrades, workforce development and technology deployment.

“The final phase of equipment requirements has now been completed,” Sayed Aref Sarwar, head of commercial and public affairs at RSGT Bangladesh, said, adding that the new cranes are expected to become operational by mid-July.

Manufactured by China’s SANY, the cranes are designed to handle two 40-foot containers simultaneously, a capability not previously available at Bangladeshi ports. According to the company, the equipment will operate entirely on electricity, eliminating the use of fossil fuels during crane operations and supporting the terminal’s low-emissions strategy.

Chittagong Port handled approximately 3.41 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, maintaining its position as the busiest container port on the Bay of Bengal and the country’s most important maritime trade hub.

RSGT currently processes about 155,000 TEUs annually at Patenga. With the new equipment entering service, the company expects throughput to rise to around 400,000 TEUs this year, accounting for roughly 12% of Chittagong Port’s total container traffic.

The terminal’s annual capacity is projected to exceed 500,000 TEUs in 2027, equivalent to approximately 17% of the port’s container volume, according to company estimates.

The expansion reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing commercial footprint in South Asia and underscores efforts by Bangladeshi authorities to modernize port infrastructure to accommodate rising trade volumes and improve logistics efficiency.

RSGT said it has invested approximately $170 million in upgrading the terminal since assuming operations. The company employs around 500 permanent staff and approximately 800 contract workers, all of whom are Bangladeshi nationals.

Company officials said employees have undergone specialized training both domestically and abroad, including operational programs in Saudi Arabia, as part of efforts to address skills shortages in Bangladesh’s port sector.

RSGT is the first foreign operator to manage a Bangladeshi port facility, a development viewed by industry observers as part of broader efforts to attract international expertise and capital into the country’s transport and logistics infrastructure.

“At this point, we take a cautious approach, and we are not making any changes to specific services,” the Danish container group said in a statement to Reuters.

The conflict, which escalated following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February and subsequent Iranian retaliation, led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and brought Gulf shipping activity close to a standstill, disrupting global supply chains.

Maersk, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, had suspended cargo bookings to several Gulf ports last month and introduced emergency bunker fuel surcharges globally to offset rising fuel costs.

“The ceasefire may create transit opportunities, but it does not yet provide full maritime certainty and we need to understand all potential conditions attached,” the company said.It added that any decision to resume transit through the strait would depend on ongoing risk assessments, security conditions and guidance from relevant authorities and partners.

In response to disruptions, Maersk has implemented alternative logistics routes, including a “land-bridge” system using ports in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Salalah and Sohar in Oman, and Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates, allowing cargo to be transported by land into Gulf destinations.

The company said it would continue to monitor developments closely and update operations as greater clarity emerges in the coming days.