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Davao International Container Terminal entered into a joint venture agreement with Philcement Corp. to build a dedicated berth for cement shipments
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The construction of a 200-meter Berth 5/bulk terminal will cost P700 million
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Construction is expected to commence in November 2024, and berth operations in mid-2026
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The bulk terminal is seen to handle two million metric tons of cement per year for distribution within Mindanao
Davao International Container Terminal (DICT) has entered into a joint venture agreement with Philcement Corp. to build a dedicated berth for cement and cementitious materials, DICT business development manager Lemuel Calatrava said in a presentation at the recently concluded 5th Mindanao Shipping Conference in Davao City organized by PortCalls.
The construction and operation of a 200-meter Berth 5/bulk terminal will be overseen by DICT Bulk Terminal, Inc., the joint venture between DICT and Philcement, a subsidiary of conglomerate PHINMA Corp. engaged in the processing, marketing and distribution of cement, with Union Cement as its legacy brand.
The cement shipments will be processed in a dedicated terminal soon to be built near DICT and operated by Philcement Mindanao, a joint venture between Philcement and DICT parent company Anflo Management & Investment Corp.
In an interview with PortCalls at the sidelines of the conference, Calatrava said bulk terminal construction will cost at least P700 million and acquisition of conveyor, port equipment and ship unloader, as well as construction of a cement terminal, P2.3 billion.
The bulk terminal is expected to handle two million metric tons of cement per year for distribution within Mindanao. Calatrava said shipping to other parts of the country may later be considered.
Construction is expected to commence in November 2024, with berth and cement terminal operations possibly starting in mid-2026, he added.
With the new JV, Calatrava said DICT will soon handle three types of cargoes—containers, breakbulk and bulk.
Currently, DICT has a 730-meter berth, of which 130 meters is for breakbulk and 600 meters for container vessels. The port features 20 hectares of container yard and a 15-hectare empty container depot.
In 2021, DICT completed its expansion, bringing annual capacity to 800,000 twenty-foot equivalent units. – Roumina Pablo
