International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has completed a berth expansion project at its flagship, Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), that effectively raises the MICT’s annual capacity to over 3.3 million TEUs and upgrades the capability of the Philippines' main port to handle more volume.

The project included a number of crucial works foremost of which is the berth expansion that adds another 150 meters to Berth 7, creating a 600-meter contiguous berth together with the adjacent Berth 6 to accommodate over 8,000-TEU capacity vessels. The two berths currently have five quay cranes, with a design for up to six quay cranes.

The berth expansion is complemented by the extension of the container yard by about another 5.5 hectares – three hectares designated for laden containers and 2.5 hectares for empties. This redounds to added capacity for the terminal of an estimated 200,000 TEUs for laden containers and 150,000 TEUs for empties.

“The added berthing capability and yard space will enable the country to easily handle added volume that is expected as the country gears up for an economic reboot following last year’s trade flow facilitation complications.  Moreover, this will enable us to continue performing our tasks as frontliners to move critical goods that are still badly needed,” said Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI executive vice president.

The additional berth space was completed on time and on budget despite some limitations caused by the pandemic, with strict safety and health protocols implemented throughout the project construction and completion.

Other upgrades on the way

To keep improving service levels, the MICT, under its equipment replacement program, plans to acquire next year another eight environmentally friendly hybrid rubber tired gantries to add to the 32 hybrid RTGs acquired starting in 2018.    

Part of the replacement program includes the dismantling of the MICT’s first quay crane this year which will be replaced over the next three years by three new quay cranes all capable of servicing larger vessels of over 12,500-TEU capacity.  

Meanwhile, the MICT is also refurbishing Berths 1 to 5 and their back up areas in preparation for the next 25 years of operation. These include the installation of an additional 450 reefer plugs for 40 footers expected to be operational by April this year, refurbishment of Berths 1 to 4 by September this year, and the upgrade of the yard infrastructure of Berths 1 to 5 by the end of 2022. 

The MICT will also upgrade the entire terminal this year to the newest and more environment-friendly LED lighting system.  This is expected to eliminate light spills and glare while lowering energy consumption by as much as 75 percent.  The new lighting system will also provide a safer traffic environment with improved lux-levels of 5 to 8 times.  

By April this year, an additional truck ingress, equipped with optical character recognition, will be operational with additional automation to further improve gate service.