International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI)’s facility in the Port of Melbourne, Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), is approaching the final stages of Phase 3A in its ongoing expansion project.
The AUD235 million ($155 million) project is divided into two phases, with Phase3A scheduled for completion in December.
According to ICTSI, Phase 3A will increase the terminal’s capacity by 30 per cent to 1.25 million TEU. This phase will also increases the quay’s length by 71 metres to 735 metres – or 769 metres with the mooring dolphins – and improve VICT’s quayside operations by allowing two 366-metre vessels to berth concurrently.
On the landside, three new storage blocks and 15 new truck lanes have been built, increasing the terminal’s booking system time slot availability to the market by up to 30 per cent per hour beginning in January 2024.
As part of Phase 3A, VICT purchased two Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes, six auto container carriers (ACC), and six auto stacking cranes (ASC).
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The ACCs and ASCs have been operating since August, supporting the increased yard capacity. The STS cranes, which have a reach of 22 containers wide and are presently Australia’s largest port equipment, arrived in the third quarter and will be operational by the end of the year.
Phase 3B, which is set to be finished in 2025, will involve the purchase of another automated STS crane, three ACCs, four ASCs, and the building of two more storage blocks.
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Bruno Porchietto, VICT Chief Executive Officer, said: “The project is a substantial leap forward for VICT. It will redefine the container terminal landscape at the Port of Melbourne and set new industry standards for operational efficiency and capacity.
“With the expanded capacity and new equipment, VICT will be able to service larger vessels – particularly the neo-Panamax ships with capacities of up to 14,000 TEU – and introduce economies of scale across the supply chain. All these improvements represent our commitment to delivering the best service to our customers at the Port of Melbourne.”
