INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) expects to complete the expansion of its port in Melbourne, Australia within this year after the arrival of its two new quay cranes from China, the listed port operator said.
On Thursday, Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) said the cranes are part of its 235-million Australian dollar expansion investment that will boost its capacity by up to 1.25 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
ICTSI, the parent firm of VICT, said that to date, it had invested about one billion Australian dollars in its Melbourne operations.
Meanwhile, VICT said its M/V CMA CGM Pelleas, which it described as a supersized ship at 350 meters in length and 43 meters wide has docked at its port in Melbourne.
“There is a global trend by shipping lines toward the use of larger ships, which are more efficient due to their carrying capacity,” Bruno Porchietto, chief executive officer of VICT, said in a statement.
The container vessel has a carrying capacity of almost 10,000 TEUs, VICT said.
“It’s a strong signal of where the future lies for the Port of Melbourne and VICT — by the end of the year, our facility will be capable of docking two of these vessels or even larger simultaneously,” Mr. Porchietto said, adding that large vessels are likely to be common at its terminal.
Further, the VICT facility also has strategic advantages as it is located at Webb Dock, Mr. Porchietto said.
“Because our operations sit at the entrance to the Port our facility can easily accommodate these larger vessels that are unable to sail further down into Melbourne’s Yarra River due to length and height restrictions,» he said.
At the local bourse on Thursday, shares in ICTSI fell by P1.20 or 0.59% to end at P202.80 apiece. — Ashley Erika O. Jose