Asian Terminals sets P8-billion port expansion program

MANILA, Philippines – Listed Asian Terminals Incorporated (ATI), the operator of the Manila South Harbor and the Batangas Container Terminal, is planning a multibillion-peso expansion program as the government’s infrastructure push is expected to bring in more shipments to the Philippines.

“Aligned with the government’s Build, Build, Build program, ATI is spending a minimum of P8 billion in capital investment this year to deliver better, faster, and safer ports and logistics services to the country’s supply chain,” the company said in a statement on Thursday, May 3.

ATI said it will increase the annual container handling capacity of the Manila South Harbor to over 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) by 2019 from its current yearly throughput of 1.25 million TEUs.

This will be as more cargo storage spaces are coming online with the near completion of Blocks 143 and 145 adjacent to the Manila South Harbor’s main container yard and the in-filling of the engineering island basin next to Pier 3.

ATI added that two brand-new ZPMC ship-to-shore (STS) cranes were delivered at Pier 3 last month, which boosted the Manila South Harbor’s capability to handle more cargo and bigger ships with faster vessel turnaround times.

For the Batangas Container Terminal, ATI said civil works are ongoing to extend its quay length and expand its container yard.

These will be followed by the deployment of two additional STS cranes and 4 more rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes within the year.

The projects, said ATI, will increase the Batangas Container Terminal’s STS and RTG cranes “to 4 and 8, respectively, effectively increasing its annual capacity to over 450,000 TEUs.”

The port operator added that the construction of a 5-storey vehicle storage facility for completely built units (CBUs) is expected to be fully operational by the 3rd quarter of 2018.

“The new car storage will push Batangas Port’s storage capacity to nearly 13,000 CBUs at any given time,” ATI said. – Rappler.com