INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) said it is enhancing its Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) through capacity expansion and infrastructure upgrades.
In a media release on Wednesday, ICTSI announced that MICT is building Berth 8 to accommodate large container vessels with capacities of up to 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
This expansion will add 200,000 TEUs to the capacity, raising the terminal’s total volume handling capability to 3.5 million TEUs annually.
Operated by ICTSI, MICT is one of three terminals in the Port of Manila and has the largest crane fleet to date.
ICTSI said the additional yard space will support the new berth while also mitigating yard utilization for increased maneuverability.
The company is also planning to expand its sustainability efforts by continuing to incorporate hybrid and near-zero-emissions equipment into its operations.
MICT said it recently deployed eight zero-emission rubber-tired gantries (RTGs) to complement its fleet.
ICTSI added that it is also planning to acquire electric trucks and establish electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
“MICT’s expansion and modernization efforts align with the country’s economic needs and goals. These efforts further underline the terminal’s central role in the country’s logistics and supply chain resilience, as well as its prominence as a gateway for global trade,” ICTSI said.
In 2024, ICTSI announced that the Manila terminal will begin the second phase of its Berth 8 expansion, which includes the construction of a 300-meter wharf and a 10-hectare container yard.
Berth 8 will be equipped with three quay cranes for handling large-capacity vessels with a capacity of up to 18,000 TEUs, ICTSI said. The new cranes are expected to arrive in 2027.
In 2023, the company estimated that adding a new berth in Manila would cost P15 billion, enabling it to serve more large foreign vessels.
ICTSI operates 33 terminals in 20 countries across six continents. At the local bourse on Wednesday, shares in the company gained P11, or 3%, to end at P378 apiece. — Ashley Erika O. Jose