ICTSI unit in Davao increases storage capacity

MANILA, Philippines - Davao Integrated Port Services & Stevedoring Corp. (DIPSSCOR), a port services provider in the Port of Davao and subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), has recently increased the capacity of its reefer storage facility to further improve the transport and storage of banana and other fruit cargo at the Sasa Wharf.

“The Philippines remains one of the leading exporters of bananas; it is the third largest banana exporter in the world, and the leader in Asia. DIPSSCOR’s container market share in the Port of Davao is at 70 percent, and this is attributed to the expanding global banana trade,”according to Julien Domingo, DIPSSCOR general manager.

“Banana exports from the Philippines are mostly produced in Mindanao with Sasa Wharf as the key port handling the delicate commodity. Traders have been shifting the shipping of bananas from reefer ships to reefer containers, a more cost-efficient and safer way of transporting the fruit,” he added.

Sasa Wharf’s reefer facility has a previous capacity of 144 reefer containers. DIPSSCOR doubled the capacity to 288 reefers with the extension of the existing facility. Three racks were constructed and installed with 48 plugs of 440 volts each complete with power supply stations. Reefers may be stacked up to four tiers, with each rack having six rows and two sides.

The racks also have back-up 1.5 MVA power generators and 1.5 MVA step-down transformers. Reefer facility operations are automated using state-of-the-art digital technology. Two 45-ton capacity reach stackers were purchased to complement increasing reefer container handling activities in the terminal.

Last year, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) turned over the operations of the reefer facility in the terminal to DIPSSCOR. Three rubber-tired gantries (RTG) were commissioned in the container yard to further improve handling of containers including reefer containers. The RTGs, the first to be introduced in the port, were key in the safe handling of reefers and in optimizing container yard space.

DIPSSCOR is the largest cargo handler and port services provider in the Port of Davao in Mindanao. It is a unit of ICTSI, a leading port management company involved in the operations and development of 22 marine terminals and port projects in 17 countries worldwide.