Batangas Port delivers over 130,000 TEUs in 2015
March 18, 2016
The modern Batangas Container Terminal (BCT) operated by listed Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) sustained its growth momentum in 2015 handling over 130,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) as it kept commodities flowing in support of South Luzon industries.
BCT’s foreign container volume in 2015 grew by as much as 34% from over 98,000 TEUs in 2014, the highest throughput thus far in a single year for Calabarzon’s (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) preferred trade gateway.
This was driven largely by BCT’s growing Calabarzon customers now taking full advantage of a reliable port facility near their factories. BCT is seamlessly connected to modern road infrastructure, making the transport of commodities faster and more convenient at lower costs.
Volume surge is also credited to the rising number of vessel calls at BCT. In 2015, vessel traffic grew above 50% to nearly 190 calls from 120 in 2014, led by intra-Asia carrier MCC Transport which directly connects BCT shippers to Hong Kong,Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia and other key regional and global markets via two regular weekly services off Batangas.
Shanghai-based SITC Lines also deploys a ship to BCT on a weekly basis while Regional Container Lines (RCL) docks fortnightly, adding more international connectivity options for Calabarzon shippers.
More shipping lines have expressed keen interest in including BCT in their port rotations.
Encouraged by the impressive market growth and the region’s future potential, ATI will be embarking on an investment program to further expand Batangas Port, starting with the extension of its quay length and crane rails, in line with ATI’s long-term commitment with the Philippine Ports Authority.
This will pave the way for the deployment of more container handling equipment such as new quay cranes (QC) and rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes to complement BCT’s current fleet of two QCs, four RTGs, reach stackers, empty side loaders and internal transfer vehicles.
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