Mersin International Port Management Inc. (MIP), a joint venture between PSA International, Akfen and IFM, has launched a US$455 million expansion project that would grow its capacity by a million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).

The East Med Hub 2 (EMH2) project will expand MIP's terminal in Mersin by increasing its capacity from 2.6 million TEU to 3.6 million TEU.

The quay will be extended by 380 metres to a total length of 880 metres, with a draft of 18 metres.

The announcement said this will allow MIP to handle two Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULVCs) of up to 400 metres simultaneously.

MIP plans to complete the first phase of EMH2 by the first quarter of 2025 and finish the project by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

The project also includes the purchase of eight new automated rail-mounted gantry cranes (aRMGs) and four additional ship-to-shore cranes. 

MIP shareholders have also signed an MoU with Mersin Tarsus Industrial Zone to set up a logistics park within an area of 200,000 square metres.

"MIP has made investments that will carry the terminal into the future and strengthen its position in world trade day by day in the centenary year of the Turkish Republic," said Ajay Kumar Singh, general manager at MIP.

"We focus on providing added value to the development of the region and Türkiye's economy with the investments we have made so far. We will contribute to both employment and the strategic position of Mersin International Port in world trade," he added.

David Yang, the regional CEO for EuroMed and Americas at PSA, said, "The investment is a clear demonstration of our unwavering dedication to the continued growth and excellence of the port."

He added that at the same time, this will also help curb PSA's environmental impact by introducing sustainable infrastructure and equipment such as electrified, automated rail-mounted gantry cranes, electrified quay cranes, fuel-efficient tugboats and energy-efficient buildings.