ICTSI services largest container vessel

International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) recently serviced the largest vessel to dock in the Philippines, the APL Bahrain, which called at two of ICTSI’s Philippine terminals: The New Container Terminal-1 (NCT-1) in Subic Bay Freeport, and the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), ICTSI’s flagship operations, in the Port of Manila.

American President Lines Ltd. (APL), one of the world's leading container shipping company based in Singapore, deployed the 4,330-TEU capacity APL Bahrain for special calls in the country. The vessel was newly built by Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd. in its shipyard facility and production at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales.

APL Bahrain, which has a length overall of 259.80 meters, had its maiden voyage from the Hanjin Subic shipyard to the nearby NCT-1, operated by ICTSI subsidiary Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. After NCT-1, the vessel’s next stop was the MICT, the country’s premier international trading gateway. The vessel’s next destination was Hong Kong.

“The calls of APL Bahrain at our Subic and Manila terminals show ICTSI’s capability to service new generation container vessels. We have been expecting the upsizing of vessels coming to the Philippines. At the MICT, the terminal has enough capacity, equipment, facilities and the technology to service much bigger

vessels,” says Christian Gonzalez, ICTSI Vice President and MICT General Manager.

Before APL Bahrain, the largest vessel serviced by MICT was a special call in 2007 by the 3,614-TEU capacity MOL Thames. In terms of capacity, APL Bahrain is the largest vessel to dock at the MICT. However, MOL Thames retains its record as the longest vessel to dock at the terminal, which had a length overall of 289.32 meters.

MICT is the busiest and largest container terminal in the Philippines. With an annual capacity of 1.6 million TEUs, the 75 hectare terminal is equipped with 10 post-Panamax and Panamax quay cranes (QC) and 40 rubber tired gantries (RTG).

The MICT can accommodate four to six containerships at one time at its 1,300-meter straight wharf. Supplementing its operations are state-of-the-art safety, security and surveillance installations, fully automated gates, and leading edge information and communications technologies to ensure seamless operations.

APL Vessel, 1st to call Subic Bay Int’l Terminal

Tonight – J.V. Antiporda

The new Container Terminal-1 (NCT-1) at the Subic Bay Metropoltan Authority Freeport formally started operating on Wednesday night, receiving the first shipment of cargoes to be unloaded in this newly-constructed, $215 million container facility.

MV Eagle Excellence, a 1,200 –TEU container ship operated by the American President Lines Ltd (APL), brought the first cargo from Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

SBMA officials and executives of Subic Bay Int’l Terminal Corp. (SBITC) won the concession to operate and manage NCT-1.

SBMA officials described the first cargo unloading at NCT-1 as “a signal of bigger things to come”.

“This is the first test for our new container terminal, which is of international standards, and were very excited about it because we expect more vessels and more cargo to follow the first shipment,” SBMA officials said.

“The operation of NCT-1 is expected to be a catalyst for growth not only in Central Luzon, but even as far as the Northern regions, and also help decongest the port in Manila”, they also said.

“It will entice a lot of businesses and open up more trade opportunities not only in Subic Bay, but also in the Central Luzon growth corridor,” they also said.

The NCT-1 which comprises the first phase of Subic’s $215-million port development project, has a cargo handling capacity of 300 TEUs (20 equivalent units).