This is the first time that ICTSI has hit the one-million-mark since it started operating the MICT in 1988. "With only 13 days to go before the end of the year, we are confident of surpassing our MICT volume estimate of 1,021,074 TEUs," said Francis M. Andrews, ICTSI senior vice president and MICT general manager. Last year, the MICT handled 928,249 TEUs.
An export container, the 40-foot container was loaded onto the M/V Singapore Bridge bound for Bangkok, Thailand. Arriving early in the morning at the MICT from Shimizu, Japan, the 1,064-TEU capacity M/V Singapore Bridge is one of the three K-Line ships that call at the MICT. K-Line averages four ship calls a week at the MICT.
Present to witness the handling of the one-millionth container were ICTSI officials led by Francis Andres, senior vice president and MICT general manager; Noel Mirasol, chief finance adviser; and Felipe Pacheco, MICT terminal manager.
Also present were K-Line officials led by Shoichi Maeda, owner’s representative; Jaime Bartolome, operations manager; Nestor Sevilla, port captain; and Capt. Hwang Sun II, captain of the M/V Singapore Bridge.
Since the start of the year, the MICT has been experiencing a surge in container volumes. For the first nine months of the year, ICTSI reported that volume at the MICT grew 10 percent, from 682,051 TEUs last year to 751,985 TEUs this year. Of this volume, full import boxes increased by 11 percent, while full exports grew by 20 percent.
Despite double-digit volume growth, quay crane productivity at the MICT has remained steady, averaging 32 moves per hour per crane. Expected to further bolster productivity is the installation of two new quay cranes and three rubber tired gantries, which were put into operation in November this year.