International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), led by ultra bilyonaryo Enrique K. Razon Jr., is poised to complete its expansion project at the Port of Melbourne by the end of the year, enabling it to handle larger vessels.
ICTSI said the expansion project of its subsidiary Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) at the Port of Melbourne is making good progress following the recent arrival of two new quay cranes from China.
The cranes are the largest in Australia and form part of a AUD235 million expansion that will boost VICT’s capacity up to 1.25 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) once completed later this year.
The expansion is seen critical as super-sized vessels are likely to become more common at the VICT terminal.
“There is a global trend by shipping lines toward the use of larger ships, which are more efficient due to their carrying capacity,” VICT chief executive officer Bruno Porchietto said.
Recently, VICT marked a milestone as it welcomed the arrival of a super-sized ship, the M/V CMA CGM Pelleas, which has docked at the Port of Melbourne.
The container vessel is the largest ever to dock in Australia at 350 meters in length and nearly 43 meters wide, with a carrying capacity of just under 10,000 TEUs.
“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,” Porchietto said.
ICTSI has so far invested more than AUD1 billion in its Melbourne operations, making the company one of the largest non-government infrastructure investors in Australia.