The International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) is expanding the capability of its flagship, Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), to receive large vessels.

The port operator is adding another berth at the MICT, Berth 8, with a design depth of 15 meters, to handle foreign ultra large container vessels with capacities of 18,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs).

At present, the MICT is 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 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. 

“We are optimistic of the prospect of welcoming ultra large container vessels at the Port of Manila," says Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI executive vice president.

"We are preparing to accommodate the added volume that these more efficient ships will bring," he explained.

"Our goal is to outpace demand and ensure the efficient flow of trade from the port to the local supply chain." 

The expansion will also increase MICT’s capacity by 200,000 TEUs to 3.5 million TEUs, key to addressing the increase in cargo volume as the country’s economy fully reopens.

In addition, the new berth will add 400 meters of quay along with 12 hectares of yard space that will be constructed in phases.  

Aside from infrastructure development, ICTSI continues to invest in technology to make MICT’s operations more efficient.  

ICTSI launched a mobile app last year that grants port users visibility over their cargo.

The ICTSI App enables customers to monitor the status of their shipment across ICTSI’s network of terminals in the Philippines, which include MICT, NorthPort, Subic Bay International Terminals (SBITC), and Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT).

Other ICTSI terminals in the country will soon be covered by the app.