Concentration, Capacity and Constraint: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Cargo Handling Performance at Ciwandan Port, Banten, Indonesia

Abstract

Multipurpose ports in emerging economies handle heterogeneous cargo across shared berths, yet the operational literature remains dominated by container terminals. This study evaluates cargo handling performance at Ciwandan Port, Banten, operated by PT Pelabuhan Indonesia Regional 2, and identifies the constraints that impede it. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, combining descriptive analysis of 289 vessel calls recorded between January and September 2025 with field observation and semi-structured interviews conducted between May and November 2025. The vessel-call data comprise a total throughput of 2,626,613 tonnes. Analysis reveals a pronounced concentration of activity: the three sub-berths of Berth 05 together account for 70.8% of throughput, while Berth 04 absorbs 22.5% of all calls yet contributes only 7.9% of tonnage. Mean parcel size varies almost sevenfold across berths, from 3,192 to 21,870 tonnes per call.