In response to growing congestion at New Priok Container Terminal One (NPCT1), several container ships are being rerouted to Koja Container Terminal (TPK Koja) and Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT).
The move aims to ease traffic jams at Tanjung Priok Port, which over the past two days have extended into parts of Jakarta.
A contacted source told Indonesia Shipping Gazette, vessels began diverting as early as yesterday. One such ship, the Haian Opus—operated by Hyundai—was initially scheduled to load and unload at NPCT1 but was reassigned to TPK Koja.
The vessel loaded 606 containers or more than 1,200 TEUs, which were discharged at the new terminal as part of the congestion relief effort.
Additional vessel schedules are also being redistributed across terminals following a joint agreement among the port authority, terminal operators, and shipping lines.
Earlier, Takwim Masuku, Head of Tanjung Priok Port Authority (KSOP), confirmed the decision.
“We are shifting operations to other terminals to ease the burden on NPCT1,” he said during a press conference on Friday (April 18, 2025). Masuku added that the authority is also managing traffic from the sea side by staggering loading and unloading operations to avoid overlap.
TPK Koja and JICT have been designated as temporary relief terminals.
In addition, PT Pelindo Regional 2 will implement volume controls on container receipts and shipments, tailored to the capacity and operational parameters of each terminal.
Drajat Sulistyo, Executive Director of Regional 2 at PT Pelindo, explained that the congestion, which began Wednesday night (April 16) and lasted through Friday morning, was triggered by the delayed arrival of three international vessels.
“These three ships were supposed to arrive earlier—two last week and one a day ahead—but all faced delays at their ports of origin,” Drajat said, likening the issue to cascading delays at airports.
Although no penalties were imposed, the terminal faced a surge in activity as ships arrived simultaneously, coinciding with accelerated operations ahead of the long weekend.
“We ended up handling around 4,200 containers—well above the normal capacity of 2,500,” he concluded.