Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), a unit of International Container Terminal Services Inc., said Wednesday it expects to complete the Phase 3A expansion of the Port of Melbourne in Australia by the end of the year.
The company said the Au$235-million project is being carried out in two phases. Phase 3A will increase the terminal’s capacity by 30 percent to 1.25 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
It extends the quay by 71 meters from 735 meters to 769 meters with the mooring dolphins included, and will enhance VICT’s quayside operations by allowing two 366-meter vessels to berth simultaneously.
Three new storage blocks were added along with 15 new truck lanes, enhancing the terminal’s booking system time slot offerings to the market by up to 30 percent per hour starting in January 2024.
VICT also acquired two ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, six auto container carriers (ACC) and six auto stacking cranes (ASC) as part of Phase 3A.
The ACCs and the ASCs have been operational since August, supporting the increased yard capacity. The STS cranes, which have a reach of 22 containers across and currently the largest port equipment in Australia, arrived in the third quarter and will be operational by yearend.
Phase 3B is scheduled to be completed in 2025 and will include the acquisition of another automated STS crane, three ACCs, four ASCs, and construction of two additional storage blocks.
“The project is a substantial leap forward for VICT. It will redefine the container terminal landscape at the Port of Melbourne and set new industry standards for operational efficiency and capacity. With the expanded capacity and new equipment, VICT will be able to service larger vessels – particularly the neo-Panamax ships with capacities of up to 14,000 TEUs – and introduce economies of scale across the supply chain,” VICT chief executive Bruno Porchietto said.
“All these improvements represent our commitment to delivering the best service to our customers at the Port of Melbourne,” he said.
VICT is also investing in the continuous development of its workforce through upskilling initiatives aside from investing in infrastructure and equipment.
The proactive approach aims to ensure that VICT remains well-prepared to effectively manage the anticipated growth across its infrastructure, equipment, operations and workforce.