ICTSI to install quay cranes at Manila port to handle mega ships

0
1185

Port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) is set to order equipment for its Manila terminal, including quay cranes that can process ships with capacity of up to 13,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).

In a statement, ICTSI said the order for Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) includes five post-Panamax quay cranes that will have the largest vessel-handling capability in the Philippines, existing or planned, and that will be on a par with those used in major developed markets around the world.

The cranes are capable of servicing up to 13,000 TEU boxships, the largest vessels in the intra-Asia trade, to set a new standard for container terminal operation in the country. Also on order are 20 rubber-tired gantry cranes.

The purchase, along with the construction of another berth, is part of ICTSI’s US$80- million capital equipment program for MICT.

With a maximum reach of 20 containers across and twin lift-rated load capability, the post-Panamax quay cranes can service new-generation box ships too large to pass through the Panama Canal.

“Hitting the two-million mark last year is a clear indication that we need to further expand our operation in response to the direction of the market. We also have to address the growing consolidation trend happening with major carriers that have them deploying larger capacity vessels,” Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI senior vice president and regional head of Asia Pacific and MICT, said.

Breaching the two-million-TEU mark triggered a multi-billion peso capacity improvement commitment with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). The program is in line with the projected increase in container movement as the Philippine economy continues to improve despite the global downturn in the container shipping industry.

“We have always been steps ahead of the game in terms of planning. By the way things are looking, there is a legitimate need to invest in equipment and construct an additional berth in the near future. We need to ensure expansion is ahead of the curve in terms of being prepared for an increase in vessel sizes,” Gonzalez said.

Two of the new quay cranes will be deployed at Berth 5. A crane will be deployed each at Berths 6 and 7, while the last crane will be deployed at Berth 3.  The first three cranes are scheduled for delivery by 2018, with the remaining two by 2019.

In 2015, ICTSI deployed new-generation reach stackers at MICT to improve operational efficiency as volume continued to grow. Earlier in 2014, MICT completed the construction of Yard 7, which added four hectares of yard space to the terminal, or roughly 500,000 TEUs more, and further extended the terminal’s berth to 1,700 meters.  With the recent expansion, MICT’s annual capacity increased to 2.75 million TEUs.

ICTSI said it has several other projects in the pipeline for its Philippine operation that should pave the way for it to become a complete logistics provider. These include the revival of the rail link between MICT and the recently opened Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal in Calamba, Laguna. It also recently submitted a proposal to build a roll-on/roll-off barge terminal in Cavite.