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Subic Bay International Terminals Corp. is beefing up its container-handling equipment at New Container Terminals 1 and 2 in Subic port
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Three new units of reach stackers and side lifters will arrive by August
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For 2025, SBITC expects delivery of four brand-new nine rubber-tired gantry cranes to improve the terminal’s yard operations and truck turnaround time
Subic Bay International Terminals Corp. (SBITC) is adding more container-handling equipment at New Container Terminals (NCT) 1 and 2 in Subic port, including three new reach stackers and side lifters and four rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes.
The reach stackers and side lifters will arrive in August, bringing to 12 the total for such equipment, according to International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) commercial director for the Philippine cluster Mikkel Puyat in a presentation during the recent Central Luzon Transport & Trade Conference 2024.
SBITC is a unit of ICTSI.
For 2025, SBITC expects the delivery of four brand-new nine rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes to improve the terminal’s yard operations and truck turnaround time. This will be in addition to the nine cranes already at the terminal.
Last February, SBITC took delivery of six prime movers, increasing its fleet to 22.
The equipment fleet upgrade comes even as NCT 1 and 2’s utilization averages around 40%.
“The terminal today stands at utilization levels averaging around 40% and we can be assured that this provides us enough and ample room for all our customers to continue growing their business,” Puyat said.
In an interview with PortCalls at the sidelines of the event, Puyat said NCT 1 and 2 handle a little over 200,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually, with growth in single-digits. The terminal has an annual capacity of 600,000 TEUs.
“So what we’re doing is continuously investing in new equipment,” Puyat said.
Currently, NCT 1 and 2 have four quay cranes, each one benchmarking at around 25 movers per hour, at par with industry standards.
In terms of connectivity, Subic port caters to over a dozen shipping lines with 10 weekly services and three fortnightly services, and offering direct calls to Japan. Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia. Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
Last March, Ocean Network Express added Subic port to its China Thailand Philippines service, linking Subic port to East Asia and providing a direct link to Thailand. Recently, Macrocean International Shipping also started its weekly call at Subic through its CX1 service, offering a direct link between the Philippines and China.
SBITC also offers a container freight station with up to 840 meters of storage area.
“We’re proud to be able to offer same-day services to a lot of e-commerce suppliers and importers here in the region,” Puyat noted.
The terminal has a reefer station with up to 500 plugs to support the growing cold storage businesses in the area.
It can handle out-of-gauge cargo and breakbulk cargoes at the same time serve delicate general cargo such as yachts and luxury vessels. Barge services connecting Subic to Batangas and Cebu are on demand.
What sets SBITC apart from other ports in the Philippines, Puyat said, is that it is the only one providing up to 10 days of free storage, which provides flexibility to importers. In addition, it has 24/7 unhampered road access with no truck bans, and is accessible via various expressways.
SBITC’s tariff is VAT-free as the terminal is located in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. – Roumina Pablo
