International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) has started the second phase of Iraq’s Basra Gateway Terminal (BGT) at the Port of Umm Qasr after receiving a strong demand from customers.
On completion of the current second phase expansion scheme, ICTSI will have invested in excess of US$ 250 million, culminating in a new berth, yard construction, and handling equipment for vessels of up to 9,000 TEU capacity.
After the investment, BGT will have an annual handling capacity of over one million TEUs.
The phase two expansion, planned for completion in stages by Q3 2019, will deliver 400 meters of new quay with a draft of 14 meters, alongside a new 30-hectare yard area and a 15-hectare secure parking area.
ICTSI will install three post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes along the quay.
Seven rubber-tired gantries (RTG) will also support operations in the yard.
Underlining BGT’s ongoing commitment to maintaining high service levels, the latest round of development also includes the acquisition of a cutter suction dredger with the dual objective of ensuring strict adherence to the construction schedule and maintaining draft alongside the terminal’s new and existing births.
Phillip Marsham, BGT Executive Officer, said: “We are listening to our customers and are proactively meeting their needs.
“The second phase expansion will not only allow us to respond immediately to scale needs, but also deliver added flexibility to the whole container handling operation with diverse benefits flowing to our customers.”
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In Q1 2017, BGT completed the first phase of its terminal greenfield project, which included the construction of a new 250-meter berth and a 15-hectare yard area.
Last year also saw BGT’s expansion of its service portfolio with the development of quay and yard areas configured for the safe and efficient handling of oil and gas project cargoes, allowing BGT to establish successful partnerships with the oil and gas industry.
Operations at Berth 21 commenced in January 2018, opening BGT’s dedicated roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) facility, where international standard operational practices remain.
Hans-Ole Madsen, ICTSI senior vice president and regional head of Europe, Middle East, and Africa, said: “Our commitment to helping Iraq develop international standard port infrastructure continues to expand.
“We invested for the long term in fixed infrastructure since day one.
“We continue to receive strong and most encouraging assistance from the General Company for Ports in Iraq and other government bodies in this respect.
“We are confident that we can continue to build on this productive partnership to the benefit of port users and the country as a whole.”
Read more: ICTSI made projections in 2017 that found its US$100 million expansion for the second major development phase of the Basra Gateway Terminal (BGT) would double the terminal's container handling capacity
