International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has expanded the Manila International Container Terminal’s (MICT) capacity with four new hectares of available yard space at Berth 7 as part of the first phase of the terminal’s expansion program.
The yard is intended to be an empty container depot (ECD) that can store up to 4,300 containers in moderate wind conditions. Another 2 hectares adjacent to it is scheduled to be finished by yearend. Once completed, the entire Phase 1 can store 6,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
In a statement, ICTSI said the new yard is part of its US$35-million (P1.6 billion) expansion project at MICT to immediately address growing volumes at the Port of Manila.
The full development, estimated to be completed in 20 months, will add about 500,000 TEUs of yard capacity to the company’s flagship terminal.
Christian Lozano, MICT director for commercial and risk management, during the Manila Ports Forum on November 27, said the yard will “allow shipping lines to start building (empty container) inventory in the terminal, which is currently congested in CYs (container yards), and eventually bring in sweepers or regular evacuation to start recovery of the supply chain.”
When completely developed in 2015, the yard will become a full rubber-tired gantry (RTG) facility that Lozano said is designed “to increase the capacity of the port and to mitigate any unforeseen… problems in the supply chain.”
Complementing the new yard is an inland container depot (ICD) of about 21 hectares in size that is being developed in Laguna with an earmarked funding of $30 million (P1.4 billion). Earlier, Christian Gonzalez, ICTSI vice president for Asia Region, said the first phase of the ICD is set to open by February 2015.
ICTSI has also ordered six new RTGs for deployment at either MICT or ICTSI’s Subic operations as demand dictates. – Roumina Pablo
