Wae Kelambu logistics terminal and Labuan Bajo’s port future

Labuan Bajo — The Wae Kelambu Multipurpose Terminal was developed as a dedicated logistics facility for Labuan Bajo, separating cargo movements from the town’s main passenger and tourism harbour. The terminal, built by the Ministry of Transportation with Pelindo’s support, was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on 14 October 2021 and is focused on handling containers, general cargo and liquid bulk freight.

Government statements at the inauguration emphasised that Wae Kelambu is intended to take over logistics functions from the existing harbour, which is being prepared as a premium tourism gateway. The facility forms part of the Labuan Bajo Port Master Plan set out in Transportation Ministerial Decree KM 117 of 2021, which designates Wae Kelambu as the terminal for logistics traffic and cargo-handling activities.

A logistics terminal outside the visitor harbour

The terminal is located in West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, and is operated by Pelindo. According to Pelindo’s explanation at the inauguration, Wae Kelambu is focused on serving logistics flows and the loading and unloading of commodities such as containers, general cargo and liquid bulk, in line with the port master plan.

Pelindo and the Ministry of Transportation have described the terminal as infrastructure designed to support Labuan Bajo’s long-term development as a tourism destination by physically separating freight operations from passenger activity. President Joko Widodo said this separation was needed to keep the old harbour area clean and available for tourism uses.

Construction of the terminal began in August 2020 and the facility entered operational trials in April 2021. Pelindo’s corporate communication noted in early 2021 that Wae Kelambu’s marine facilities included a 120‑metre berth and a three‑hectare waterside container yard, with an annual handling capacity of up to 75,000 TEUs.

Infrastructure and early operations

Reporting from Wae Kelambu in November 2021 described a berth of approximately 120 metres by 20 metres connected via trestle and causeway structures, and a terminal basin able to receive ships of up to about 25,000 deadweight tonnes.[IndoAviation Plus] Land‑side facilities included an operations office, workshop, power house, mosque and supporting infrastructure for terminal activity.[IndoAviation Plus]

The container yard, around three hectares in size, was highlighted as central to the terminal’s role as a logistics hub, providing dedicated space for containerised cargo away from the main visitor harbour.[IndoAviation Plus] Pelindo’s communication in March 2021 also referred to a fuel terminal being developed within the Wae Kelambu complex, with a planned capacity of 1,500 kilolitres to support reliable fuel supply for Manggarai Barat and surrounding areas.

By late March 2021, Pelindo reported that physical construction of the multipurpose terminal was roughly 97 percent complete and that trial operations had begun on 10 April 2021. Between those trials and the time of the communication, the port had handled 19 container ships and one non‑container vessel.

Separation of tourism and freight

At the inauguration in October 2021, President Joko Widodo and Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi repeatedly framed Wae Kelambu as a logistics terminal that would allow Labuan Bajo’s existing harbour area to focus on tourism and passenger services. Government communications stated that the terminal “now focuses only” on logistics traffic and cargo handling, while the old harbour area is being prepared as a premium tourism gateway.

This policy direction is grounded in the Labuan Bajo Port Master Plan (KM 117 of 2021), which formalises the allocation of logistics activities to Wae Kelambu and underpins the terminal’s role in regional freight movements. Officials have also indicated that the terminal is expected to support Labuan Bajo’s growth for many years, with some statements suggesting operational horizons of around 20 years.

Unclear longer‑term performance

Available public reporting provides detail on Wae Kelambu’s infrastructure and early operations, but does not yet offer comprehensive data on its medium‑term performance. Neither Pelindo’s releases nor government communications accessed for this article include updated figures on annual throughput, berth occupancy or the number of regular shipping services using the terminal after 2021.

Similarly, the accessible material does not quantify how much cargo has shifted from other nearby ports to Wae Kelambu, or to what extent the terminal has reduced freight activity in areas used for tourism and passenger services. Those indicators will be important for assessing whether the logistics–tourism separation policy has been achieved in practice.

Sources

• Setkab (Cabinet Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia) – "Presiden Resmikan Terminal Multipurpose Wae Kelambu Pelabuhan Labuan Bajo, NTT"
• Pelindo – "Merger BUMN Pelabuhan Diresmikan Presiden RI"
• CNBC Indonesia – "Jokowi Terkejut Saat Resmikan Terminal Wae Kelambu, Ada Apa?"
• Pelindo – "THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA OFFICIALS THE MERGER OF PORT SOES"
• Liputan6 – "Jokowi: Pemisahan Terminal Wae Kelambu untuk Jadikan Labuan Bajo Destinasi Wisata Super Premium"
• Beritasatu – "Terminal Multipurpose Pelabuhan Labuan Bajo Siap Dioperasikan"
• NU Online – "Pertamina Dukung Wisata Premium Labuan Bajo"
• InfoPublik (DJPikom Kominfo) – "Terminal Multipurpose Wae Kelambu Resmi Melayani Logistik dan Bongkar Muat"
• JDIH Kementerian Perhubungan – entry for KM 117 Tahun 2021 Rencana Induk Pelabuhan Labuan Bajo
• Kumparan Bisnis – "Jokowi Resmikan Terminal Wae Kelambu di Labuan Bajo, Bisa Beroperasi 20 Tahun"
• IndoAviation Plus