International Container Terminal Services (ICTS) is to invest US$330 million to expand its terminal in Manila and its inland container depot in order to relieve long-term congestion issues at the port.
Manila’s port congestion worsened recently, with the port being urged by the US Trade Secretary to build a new facility to accommodate the rise in container shipments.
One third of the investment will go towards a new berth and dockyard expansion inside of the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT).
An additional US$200 million will be spent on infrastructure upgrades at the terminal, according to the Journal of Commerce.
ICTS will also spend US$30 million for a new inland container depot, located in the Laguna province, which is around 100 miles away from Manila Port.
However, despite plans to expand the terminal, a longer-term solution is still on the agenda. ICTS vice president Christian Gonzalez said: “We need to find a long term solution to make ports viable. [And] the growth will be coming from Greater Manila, including Cavite which takes up 70% of the demand of imports.”
The only long-term solution would be to implement a US$403.5 million connector that would bind the North and South Luzon expressways, which stop on either side of the city of Manila.
The expansion of MICT and inland container depot is expected to take 10 years to complete.
