Batangas Container Terminal (BCT) capped 2019 with a record-breaking 310,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) handled, the terminal’s highest container throughput since it began operations in 2010.
The figure represents an increase of around 25% from 2018’s volume, maintaining BCT’s strong double-digit cargo growth over the past six years that has been driven by a growing customer base and support from shipping line partners, port authorities and BCT dockworkers, port operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) said in a statement.
ATI noted this meant “reducing around 150,000 truck trips from Metro Manila’s roads, with consignees opting to ship cargoes through BCT, a world-class terminal located a few kilometers from industrial hubs and conveniently accessible 24/7 through major highways.”
Before 2019 ended, BCT broke through the 300,000-TEU milestone mark with SITC’s Stellar Windsor delivering its 300,000th TEU container on December 16, 2019.
Last year, ATI unveiled BCT’s expanded berth, which doubled the terminal’s annual capacity to 500,000 TEUs.
READ: Batangas terminal’s second berth boosts capacity to half a million TEUs
At present, port operations at BCT are supported by four quay cranes and eight rubber-tired gantry cranes, as well as reach stackers, side loaders, internal transfer vehicles and other cargo handling equipment, all of which enable quicker vessel and truck turnaround time.
With such equipment, ATI said BCT can ably handle two container vessels at any one time, while consignees can pull out containers from the port within 45 minutes from truck entry.
