Penang Port

Southeast Asia’s oldest port from the British colonial era

The port, established soon after English sea captain Francis Light landed on Penang island in 1786 to establish the colonial settlement there, is strategically located off the northern end of the Straits of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

While the port has bases both on the island and the mainland, the Butterworth side deals mainly with cargo. It includes the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT), the Butterworth Deep Water Wharves and the Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal.

Today the port handles about 30 million tonnes of cargo annually. A new ‘floating’ mosque built on the waters beside the NBCT is scenically set against the backdrop of the distant buildings of George Town and the emerald hills of Penang island.