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ICTSI Manila container terminal hits record 2m teu throughput

ICTSI Manila container terminal hits record 2m teu throughput
The Manila container terminal of International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) saw box throughput touched a record high of 2m teu for the period of 1 January to 6 December 2016.

ICTSI’s flagship operation and the Philippines’ largest, the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) has an annual capacity of 2.75m teu.

The two millionth teu container was offloaded from boxship SITC Osaka, operated by China’s SITC Container Lines. The MICT reached its first one millionth teu move back in December 2002.

Terminal utilization at the MICT has significantly improved since the completion of Yard 7 late in November 2015. Yard 7, which is part of MICT’s PHP5bn ($100.3m) expansion project, raised the terminal’s capacity by 18% from 2.5m teu to 2.75m teu.

MICT’s 2m teu milestone helped trigger a multi-billion peso capacity improvement commitment with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) that requires ICTSI to commission five additional post-panamax quay cranes along with corresponding yard equipment, and build at least another berth by 2019.

The key to achieving the 2m teu milestone was also attributed to the roll-out of the Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS), an online container booking platform, in October 2015, which improved and optimized the flow of trucks in and out of the terminal.

“The construction of Yard 7 and the implementation of TABS last year gave us the flexibility and efficiency we need to perform optimally. We have more projects in the pipeline like the revival of the rail line which will link MICT with Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal,” said Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI senior vice president and regional head of Asia-Pacific and MICT.

Apart from establishing an intermodal link between its Manila and Laguna terminals, ICTSI also submitted a proposal to the Philippine Department of Transportation to build the Cavite Gateway Terminal (CGT), a $30m common-user barge and roll on–roll off terminal in Tanza, Cavite.

The 115,000-teu facility, which will be built in a six-hectare property, will also be directly linked with MICT. The transhipping of cargo from MICT to CGT and vice-versa will serve the economic activity of Cavite, and lessen the number of truck trips in Manila by approximately 140,000 annually, according to ICTSI.