MERAUKE INDONESIA (ISL News, February 26, 2026) – As development in eastern Indonesia increases, Merauke Port's position as a logistics gateway for South Papua Province and its surrounding areas is increasingly strategic. Businesses continue to push for infrastructure strengthening, particularly the construction of container depots outside the port area, to maximize services at Merauke Port.
The Chairman of the Merauke Branch of the Indonesian Logistics and Forwarders Association (ALFI/ILFA), Abi Bakri Alhamid, said that increased development in South Papua automatically drives an increase in logistics flows to Merauke.
He believes Merauke needs a container depot outside the port area as a long-term solution. Having a container depot outside the port area would allow for more efficient container distribution and prevent container congestion within the port.
"Furthermore, in the short term, containers leaving the port must be permitted by the local government so they can be transported directly to the distributor's warehouse. This is to prevent congestion in the port's storage yard," he said when contacted on Monday (February 23, 2026).
Puji Hermoko, Head of PT Salam Pacific Indonesia Lines (SPIL) Merauke Branch, echoed this sentiment. He stated that the stacking yard at Merauke Port is already quite congested. Containers ready for loading and unloading from ships must be separated from the stripping (unloading) and stuffing (arranging cargo into containers) areas.
"The current conditions (stripping and stuffing) carried out inside the port have resulted in the stacking yard becoming congested, so that loading and unloading of ships is not optimal, which has an impact on ship waiting times," said Puji.
According to him, the existence of container depots outside ports is an urgent solution to reduce congestion and facilitate the distribution of goods in eastern Indonesia.
Without accelerated infrastructure development, it is feared that the slowdown in logistics distribution will become a recurring problem, especially as shipping volumes increase.
Julivan Ch. L. Salindeho, Head of the Merauke Class IV Harbormaster and Port Authority (KSOP), acknowledged that stripping and stuffing activities are still being carried out within the port area. However, the port's storage area only covers about 1.5 hectares.
According to Julivan, the KSOP, along with Pelindo (Indonesian Pelindo), local governments, shipping companies, and Transportation Management Services (JPT) operators, are currently strengthening coordination. The primary focus is on establishing container depots outside the port so that stuffing and stripping activities can be moved outside the port. This will optimize the capacity of the port's stacking yard to expedite the loading and unloading process.
"Even though the area is 1.5 hectares, only about 1 to 1.2 hectares can function optimally as a storage yard," said Julivan in a recent meeting with the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).
Suroso, Director of PT Berkah Mutiara Laut, stated that the challenges ahead will be even greater once the sugarcane factory is operational. That's where logistics distribution activities in South Papua will be tested.
According to him, building a container depot isn't just about adding land, but also about ensuring the community's supply chain remains secure. The ideal location for a container depot is close to the port to ensure efficient mobility.
The maximum distance considered reasonable is about three kilometers from the pier. This consideration relates to the land route in Merauke, which is impassable for containers.
"Amidst the growing flow of goods and regional development ambitions, the readiness of port infrastructure is key to ensuring Merauke's ability to truly support the economic pulse of South Papua," he said.
The Current of the Box Increases
PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas, the container terminal operator at Merauke Port, has recorded significant container growth. Over the past two years, container traffic has grown 14 percent.
Merauke Terminal Head Muhammad Rasul Irmadani stated that container throughput in 2025 was recorded at 52,715 TEUs, representing a 14 percent increase from 46,429 TEUs in 2024. Similarly, the 2024 flow also grew 14 percent from 40,671 TEUs in 2023.
He stated that several efforts have been made to increase capacity at Merauke Port, including improvements and restructuring of the yard. The use of the yard for stripping and stuffing activities has resulted in an average yard occupancy ratio (YOR) of 75 percent. With the depot located outside the port, the YOR can be reduced to an average of 40 percent.
The company also brought in a number of supporting equipment for container operations at the Port of Merauke. Rasul stated that one additional side loader, used to lift empty containers, has arrived, along with one head truck and chassis for container transport. This will be followed by one reach stacker and two head trucks and chassis, which are currently in the delivery stage.
"We strongly support the presence of depots outside the port, so that the capacity of the stacking yard can be optimized for container loading and unloading activities, which are increasing every year," he concluded.
(ISL News Editorial Team/Corcom SPTP).
