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Asian Terminals Inc and DP World inaugurated the P5.7-billion Manila South Harbor modernization project on May 2
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The project expanded terminal capacity by 25% to over two million TEUs
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It also extended Pier 3 berth to over 600 meters and expanded the yard to accommodate an additional 20,000 TEUs
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Plans are underway to deploy electric and hybrid landside equipment, including yard tractors, container loaders and rubber-tired gantry cranes
Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) and DP World inaugurated the P5.7-billion Manila South Harbor modernization project on May 2. The project expanded annual terminal capacity by 25% to over two million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from the previous 1.45 million TEUs.
It involved the extension of Pier 3 berth to over 600 meters; yard expansion to accommodate an additional 20,000 TEUs; deployment of two new ship-to-shore (STS) cranes; and purchase of eco-friendly landside equipment.
READ: Asian Terminals receives 2 ship-to-shore cranes
An official ceremony was held at the Manila South Harbor attended by Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, DP World Group chairman and CEO His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Philippine Ports Authority general manager Jay Santiago, ATI president Eusebio Tanco, Bureau of Customs representatives, and key stakeholders.
In a statement, Manila South Harbor operator ATI said the project enables the terminal to accommodate more cargo volume and bigger ships deployed by international carriers, providing faster and safer turnaround times to support the country’s international trade.
The two neo post-panamax STS cranes, manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries, are the largest among Manila South Harbor’s quay-side equipment and among the biggest ever deployed in the Philippines. It brings Manila South Harbor’s STS fleet to 11.
With an outreach of 58 meters, each STS crane can handle vessels carrying up to 20 containers wide. Each crane is equipped with modern safety and operational features such as intelligent sensing systems for monitoring speed, vibration, and temperature, trailer positioning, anti-collision, and automated diagnostics.
ATI said plans are also underway to deploy electric and hybrid landside equipment, including yard tractors, container loaders and rubber-tired gantry cranes in support of Manila South Harbor’s carbon reduction initiatives.
“We are very pleased to inaugurate these major development projects that collectively enhances our capacity and capability in delivering comprehensive and market-responsive services to our customers and stakeholders. ATI, alongside our partners from DP World, stands proud of our contribution to powering economic progress by ensuring supply chain efficiency through ATI’s strategic ports and logistics assets,” ATI president Eusebio Tanco said.
For his part, PPA chief Santiago, said: “With bigger and more efficient facilities, through our partners in the private sector, we are elevating the capacity and capability of the country’s ports, particularly the Manila South Harbor, to connect the Philippines with the rest of the world, and serve as catalyst to long-term growth and prosperity, in support of port stakeholders.”
DP World Group chairman and chief executive officer His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, meanwhile, said: “Building on our strong partnership, and seeing huge economic potential, we are lining up more investment projects in the coming years to future-proof the gateway terminals in Manila, Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna in support of the resilient growth of the Philippine economy.”
In 2024, ATI terminals handled almost 1.6 million TEUs in cumulative container volume, over 4% higher vis-a-vis 2023. Of this, Manila South Harbor handled around 1.3 million TEUs, nearly 8% more than the total volume year-on-year.
READ: ATI net income up 1.35% to P4.5B in 2024
For the first quarter of 2025, Manila South Harbor handled over 350,000 TEUs of international shipments, over 25% higher compared to the same period in 2024, “signaling the strong and resilient growth of the economy,” ATI said.
ATI and its strategic foreign shareholder, DP World, operates Manila South Harbor, Batangas Port, Cavite Barge Terminal, and other strategic inland logistics terminals.
