International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) has formally inaugurated two new berths at Basra Gateway Terminal (BGT) in Umm Qasr, Iraq, allowing the country’s main dry cargo port to handle container vessels of up to 14,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
The inauguration ceremony held on October 22 marked both the opening for business of Berths 25 and 26, and the completion of ICTSI’s overall US$250 million investment program at BGT.
Located in Umm Qasr’s North Port, BGT operates a high-capacity container terminal together with specialized facilities for the handling of general cargo, roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro), dry bulk, and project cargo for the oil and gas sector.
Berth 27, which is adjacent to the new berths, was constructed ahead of the two, with the three berths now offering a combined continuous berth length of 600 meters. Design depth alongside Berths 25 and 26 is 14 meters.
ICTSI said the two new berths are extensively fitted out with state-of-the-art container handling equipment and IT systems. Three new quayside gantry cranes, each with an outreach of 56 meters and able to handle up to 21 rows of containers on the deck of a vessel, are installed on the quayside. On the landside seven new, six high stacking, rubber-tired gantries (RTGs) join three existing units, bringing the total fleet to 10 RTGs.
“ICTSI’s completion of our multi-phase US$250-million investment programme highlights our commitment to Iraq and our readiness to meet the challenge of providing much needed, brand new, port infrastructure and handling technology,” ICTSI chairman and president Enrique Razon said during the inauguration.
“We are pleased to lead the way for Umm Qasr to serve higher capacity container vessels, up to and including the so-called ‘New Panamax’ class (14,000TEU), and as a result to open the door for cargo importers and exporters to benefit from substantial scale economies,” he added.
BGT already receives direct calls from a number of shipping lines that traditionally have not been fully utilized due to draft limitations. ICTSI said the latest berth development removes this limitation plus encourages other shipping lines to introduce larger vessels, with the resulting cost and efficiency benefits passing directly to cargo owners.
BGT has also undertaken, as part of its investment program, a range of works that provide value-added services in addition to the core container handling and storage processes. Dedicated areas for reefer handling, export container stuffing and secure truck parking have been developed, and currently a 10-hectare yard expansion is underway to cater for future growth.
Outside of the container sector BGT has also invested in the terminal complex’s Ro-Ro facilities including dedicated warehousing and secure areas. Similarly, specialized handling services and facilities have been established to accommodate the efficient handling of project cargo for the oil and gas sector including secure open storage and warehousing.
“This is the start of a new era in Iraq’s Port industry. As Iraq’s economy continues to grow, it is imperative to create the necessary port capacity for the future. ICTSI is proud to lead the way in this field and to be the No 1 private sector investor in new port capacity supporting economic growth in Iraq,” BGT chief executive officer Phillip Marsham said.
ICTSI in 2014 signed a contract with the General Company for Ports in Iraq to manage, operate and rehabilitate terminal facilities in North Port Umm Qasr and to develop and expand container-handling capacity via new infrastructure development.
