International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) said it is adding another berth in its flagship the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) where it is spending P15 billion.
The eighth in MICT, the new berth is beyond the contractual commitments to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), ICTSI said in a statement.
To be constructed in phases, Berth 8 will greatly add to the MICT’s capability to service foreign ultra container vessels of up to 18,000 twenty-equivalent units (TEUs), a trend that has been growing in the past years, the company said.
“The new berth will create another 400 meters of quay along with 12 hectares of yard space that will bring an additional annual capacity of 200,000 TEUs,” it added.
When completed, the MICT will have an annual capacity of 3.5 million TEUs, making the MICT the Philippines’ largest international gateway, the company also said.
The full build will give the MICT a total berth length of 2,300 meters, a 21 percent increase in berthing capacity.
“We are excited to announce the development of Berth 8, which enables us to be in the same league as the world’s top terminals. More importantly, this will bring significant economic benefits to the Philippines as we have the added capacity to handle growing trade volumes,” said Christian Gonzalez, ICTSI executive vice president.
MICT is currently capable of handling neo-Panamax ships through berths 6 and 7, which are operated by five quay cranes (QC). A sixth crane is scheduled to arrive in July and will be operational within the year.
Berth 8 will operate with a minimum of four QCs, two of which will be delivered in 2025.
Aside from the construction of Berth 8, ICTSI has also commenced the modernization of Berths 1 to 5 and their backup and yard areas. The project includes the installation of additional reefer racks to accommodate approximately 300 TEUs of reefer cargo.
