International
Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) announced plans to build a large new
international container terminal in the southern Philippines that can become a
key international gateway and drive regional economic growth. To be located in Bauan, Batangas,
Philippines it will be the second-largest container facility in the country
serving one of the Philippines’’ fastest-growing regions.
“The new terminal represents a
significant leap forward for Southern Luzon,” said Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI
executive vice president. “We are building a world-class facility that will
unlock a wave of economic benefits for the region and the country.”
Strategically
located 120 kilometers (approximately 75 miles) south of Manila and nine
kilometers (5.5 miles) west of Batangas City, ICTSI says the Bauan facility
will become the premier international gateway for shippers based in the region.
They highlight that it is a strong agro-industrial region of the Philippines.
They report construction will begin in 2025
with an estimated US$800 million investment. It will have an estimated
annual capacity of over two million TEUs. Upon completion, the terminal will
feature up to 900 meters (nearly 3,000 feet) of quay and at least eight
ship-to-shore gantry cranes. It will be built on a natural cove to support easy
access and it will be supported with access to the highway system.
ICTSI
reports that design and engineering studies are well underway, with its target
to begin construction in the first quarter of 2025. The first berthing is
scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.
This new
project comes as the company has also been investing in the modernization and
expansion of the Manila International Container Terminal, the largest in the
country. The company is upgrading its
ability to handle foreign ultra-container vessels in Manila including with the
recent arrival of three new quay cranes. They received two new post-Panamax
with a reach of 18 rows across, and one neo-Panamax with a reach of 20 rows
across. The new cranes expand MICT's fleet to 18 quay cranes - the largest in
the Philippines.