INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) has taken delivery of three new cranes for its flagship Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), beefing up its capacity to handle the world’s largest container ships.
The delivery involves a pair of Neo-Panamax quay cranes and a Post-Panamax quay crane, which now allows one of Manila’s ports to handle up to 14,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) box ships, the largest in the intra-Asia trade.
“We are now ready for the era of super-sized ships. With the arrival of the new Neo-Panamax cranes, MICT is ready to address the pressing demand and volume increase by servicing larger vessels,” ICTSI Head of Global Corporate Christian R. Gonzalez said on Thursday.
Manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (ZPMC), the quay cranes are part of ICTSI’s $80-million capital equipment program for MICT. The pair of Neo-Panamax cranes and the Post-Panamax crane will be positioned at Berths 6 and 5, respectively.
“Combined with our unparalleled customer focus and highly trained staff, the new cranes allow MICT to deliver even greater efficiencies to the benefit of our customers and the entire supply chain,” Gonzalez added.
Upon full commissioning, MICT customers can expect quayside productivity gains, translating to shorter port stays.
“The new cranes, along with other planned improvements at the MICT, will further boost the port’s already efficient turnaround times. This will redound to economic benefits for the entire Philippine supply chain,” Gonzalez said.
With the new acquisitions, the MICT now has a total of 16 quay cranes, the largest fleet in the country.
In December 2016 MICT reached its first year-to-date 2-million TEU move, triggering a multibillion-peso capacity improvement commitment with the Philippine Ports Authority in line with the growing consolidation trend among major carriers and the advent of larger vessels.
“By investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment, we are strengthening MICT’s position as one of the best-equipped and most technologically advanced terminals serving the intra-Asia trade,” Gonzales added.
Two more quay cranes are set to arrive in 2019.
ICTSI has several other projects in the pipeline for its Philippine operations, including the revival of the rail link between MICT and the recently opened Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal in Calamba.
The Cavite Gateway Terminal, the country’s first dedicated container barge terminal located in Tanza, Cavite, is slated for launch by the third week of June.