Asian Terminals Inc. inaugurated a new berth expansion at the Batangas Container Terminal, increasing the annual capacity of the port by more than 40 percent.
The port operator owned by businessman Eusebio Tanco said the expansion of the BCT would increase the annual capacity to 500,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) from 350,000 TEUs.
The expansion includes more berths for international container ships spanning 600 meters at 13 meters deep.
The terminal is now equipped with four quay cranes, eight rubber-tired gantry cranes and additional mobile container handling equipment.
ATI has spent P2.5 billon for the expansion of the BCT.
BCT in 2018 posted a record throughput at nearly 250,000 TEUs, up 26 percent from the 2017 level.
BCT now has 11 weekly ship calls deployed by major shipping lines.
The company earlier announced a capital investment of about P14.7 billion from 2019 to 2020 to develop more berths and storage spaces in Manila and Batangas ports and additional container yards outside the port zones, acquire more cargo handling equipment, and invest in innovations, which would redound to greater efficiencies and safer port environment for stakeholders.
ATI earlier reported a net income of P2.9 billion in 2018, up 15.8 percent from P2.5 billion in 2017.
The company’s revenues last year rose 15.8 percent to P12.3 billion from P10.6 billion in 2017, driven by higher volumes of international containerized cargoes.
International gateway ports Manila South Harbor and Batangas Container Terminal handled a combined container throughput of over 1.4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), the highest thus far for the listed port operator.
International boxed cargoes handled at Manila South Harbor in 2018 reached over 1.3 million TEUs, an increase of over 6 percent from 2017.
