ICTSI to expand Manila flagship with new berth

MANILA, Philippines — International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) is adding another berth to its flagship, the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT).

The new berth, MICT’s eighth, is beyond the contractual commitments to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

To be constructed in phases, Berth 8 will greatly add to the MICT’s capability to service foreign ultra-container vessels of up to 18,000 TEUs, a trend that has been growing in the past years. The new berth will create another 400 meters of quay along with 12 hectares of yard space that will bring an additional annual capacity of 200,000 TEUs. When completed, the MICT will have an annual capacity of 3.5 million TEUs, making the MICT the Philippines’ largest international gateway. The full build will give the MICT a total berth length of 2,300 meters, a 21 percent increase in berthing capacity.

“We are excited to announce the development of Berth 8, which enables us to be in the same league as the world’s top terminals. More importantly, this will bring significant economic benefits to the Philippines as we have the added capacity to handle growing trade volumes,” ICTSI executive vice president Christian Gonzalez said.

Along with equipment, Berth 8 is estimated to cost P15 billion. MICT is currently capable of handling neo-Panamax ships through Berths 6 and 7, which are operated by five quay cranes (QC). A sixth crane is scheduled to arrive in July 2023 and will be operational within the year. Berth 8 will operate with a minimum of four QCs – two of which will be delivered in 2025.

Since taking over the MICT in 1988, ICTSI has remitted in excess of P96 billion to the government through the PPA. Over the same period, ICTSI has remitted to its host government – the City of Manila – over P3 billion in taxes. The company has invested in excess of P40 billion to modernize the MICT, handling over 47 million TEUs since 1988.