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The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority is in the initial stages of procurement for its shore power connection project for ships calling at Subic port
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The first phase covering New Container Terminals is set to commence in 2026 with a budget of P100 million, while Phase 2 covering the Naval Supply Depot and Ship Repair Facility from 2027 to 2028, requires P150 million
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The project is seen to cut air pollution from ships at berth by 95%
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is in the initial stages of procurement for its shore power connection project for ships calling at Subic port.
The first phase covering Subic port’s New Container Terminals is set to commence in 2026 with a budget of P100 million, while Phase 2 covering the Naval Supply Depot and Ship Repair Facility from 2027 to 2028, requires P150 million, SBMA senior deputy administrator for port operations Ronnie Yambao said in a message during a recent Locators’ Forum.
Yambao earlier said the project is in line with SBMA’s program to make Subic Bay Freeport Zone the first carbon neutral economic zone in the country and in compliance with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ship (MARPOL) Annex VI.
MARPOL Annex VI, which the Philippines acceded to in 2018, is intended to prevent pollution of the air by seagoing ships. The shore power connection project also complies with the United States’ Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, which implements MARPOL Annex VI on US-flagged ships wherever located and to non-US flagged ships operating in US waters.
SBMA chairman and administrator Eduardo Jose Aliño earlier said ships can use the shore power connection—which will use renewable energy—instead of continuously running on bunker fuel while at berth. The project is seen to cut air pollution from ships at berth by 95%.
Aside from the shore power connection, SBMA has a number of port expansion projects with a total budget of $878.7 million, including a new container terminal with a capacity of 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), estimated to cost $359 million; a multipurpose terminal at Redondo Peninsula, valued at $162 million; a multipurpose terminal in Lower Mau, supporting bulk and break-bulk industries, costing $182 million; and a dedicated cruise terminal to boost tourism, with an investment of P10.2 billion.
Yambao said SBMA is enhancing its logistics capabilities to support multimodal transport.
Aside from a modern container terminal with an annual capacity of 600,000 TEUs expandable to one million TEUs, the Freeport is accessible by land, sea, and air. The planned Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway project will also eventually connect the Freeport via rail.
Various automation initiatives to streamline cargo movement and enhance efficiency are also being implemented, including the Automated System for Customs Data, Electronic Transit Admission Permit System, and Automated Export Documentation System.
SBMA is also considering a partnership with the Port of San Diego, its sister port in the US, to transform Subic Freeport into a smart port city.
“This collaboration aims to integrate artificial intelligence, automation, break bulk cargo handling, shore power connections, cruise ship terminal development, and ship repair capabilities,” Yambao said.
READ: Subic Bay Freeport Zone to host P4.135B logistics, transport hub
