Berth 2 ushers more calls
New shipping lines have started calling DICT since the third quarter of last year with the new Berth 2 becoming operational in August 2016, the DICT executive noted.
These are Mariana Express Lines Pte. Ltd., SITC, and China Shipping Container Lines, all operating on a weekly basis on a fixed berthing window. Wan Hai, a regular DICT caller, has also added a new service.
The P1.8billion construction of Berth 2 doubled DICT’s annual capacity to 700,000 TEUs.
DICT complemented this expansion by acquiring two quay cranes, five rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTG), two reachstackers, four empty-container handlers, and other port equipment.
With the newly acquired equipment, DICT now has four quay cranes (two Panamax and two post-Panamax), eight RTGs, five reachstackers, nine empty-container handlers, 39 yard goats/trucks, and 87 bombcarts/trailers.
DICT is also enlarging its empty container depot (ECD) this year by seven hectares more, bringing the total area to 15 hectares.
“This is needed to support the expected increase in box throughput with the ongoing expansions in banana plantations, additional berth and additional vessels,” Licayan said. Expanding the ECD, he added, will allow the terminal to accommodate the empty containers of the carrier/vessel operators and even non-vessel operating common carriers.”
He noted that the ECD “is a valuable and integral part of the whole port operations as it enables us to handle the empty container storage and related services requirement of the shipping lines and, at the same time, allow us to divide the traffic between the on-dock and the ECD to avoid port congestion.”
Licayan said the ECD has also become a one-stop shop for shipping lines that need an empty container storage area and services such as checkering, pre-trip inspection, washing, temperature and ventilation setting, and maintenance and repair services (for both box and machinery).
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