INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) on Friday said it has ordered for new state-of-the-art container handling equipment for its operations in the Philippines and Mexico.
“The new orders signify our commitment to further improve terminal operations and services across the ICTSI Group. We are doing this multi-million dollar investment because we see the growth potential of our Manila and Manzanillo operations,” Brian Oakley, ICTSI global engineering vice president said. Finnish equipment maker Cargotec was tapped to supply four quay cranes (QC) and 10 rubber tired gantries (RTG), which were booked during the fourth quarter of last year.

In Mexico, ICTSI has started the construction of the Specialized Container Terminal-2 in the Port of Manzanillo in the country’s Pacific coast. Contecon Manzanillo S.A., ICTSI’s Mexican subsidiary, is expected to receive four super post-Panamax Kalmar QCs and 10 Kalmar RTGs during first half of 2013. The terminal is projected to have an annual capacity of 450,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in its first two year operation.

In the Philippines, eight RTGs are due for delivery in its flagship Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) in 2012. The purchase of the new container yard equipment is part of the Berth 6 project, an ongoing terminal expansion at the Port of Manila, the country’s largest trading gateway.

ICTSI’s Manila operation is expected to grow from its current annual capacity of 1.9 million TEUs to 2.5 million TEUs. Berth 6 will begin operation in June of this year. MICT currently accounts for 65 percent of the container traffic moving through Manila.