THE Philippine Ports Authority’s (PPA) reefer facility in Davao’s Sasa Wharf is now being operated by Davao Integrated Ports and Stevedoring Services Corp (DIPSSCOR), a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services, Inc (ICTSI).
The 270-square-meter facility can handle a total of 144 reefer containers. Located at the northern portion of Sasa Wharf, the facility handles most of Mindanao’s export perishables such as bananas. The Philippines is the world’s third largest importer of bananas, most of which are produced and harvested in Mindanao.
“The Port of Davao needs these new reefers because of the thriving banana trade in Mindanao,” said Manuel de Jesus, DIPSSCOR general manager. De Jesus is also ICTSI vice president for business development.
DIPSSCOR is the second largest \t “undefined” operation of ICTSI in the Philippines after its flagship Manila International Container Terminal.
Additional crane for Ecuador operation
In another development, ICTSI said it recently ordered a third mobile harbor crane from Gottwald Port Technology GmbH for its Ecuador terminal, Contecon Guayaquil SA (CGSA).
“The port of Guayaquil is Ecuador’s main international trading gateway and the transition from public to private sector management and operation heralded a major new era of investment for the port,” said Gustavo Cercós, engineering director at CGSA.
“ICTSI is investing heavily in facilities improvement and equipment and the first two new Gottwald Mobile Harbour Cranes, which were acquired immediately after the takeover of the port in 2007, allowed to establish efficient container operation in due time,” Cercós said.
The new order brings to eight the total number of Gottwald cranes sold to Ecuador since 1987.
The G HMK 6407 variant, chosen by ICTSI/CGSA for the Port of Guayaquil in Ecuador, has a lifting capacity of up to 100 tons and a working radius of up to 51 meters.
Model 6 is the preferred choice for universal and special terminals servicing container vessels up to the post-Panamax size and bulk carriers up to Capesize. It is well suited to terminals performing a significant number of heavy-load lifts.
The principle areas of application include high-end and high-speed container handling, including twin-lift mode, professional and continuous bulk handling.
