The subsidiary of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. in Iraq, Basra Gateway Terminal has received and handled its four millionth twenty-foot equivalent unit for its nine years of existence in the country’s busiest port.

This, after Basra Gateway Terminal handled unloading operation on the Yang Ming vessel YM Mutuality, making it the first terminal in Iraq to have handled four million TEUs.

“We are thrilled to achieve this significant milestone, which is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and expertise of our team who have consistently delivered exceptional service to our customers,” Romeo Salvador, BGT’s chief executive officer, said.

Leading player

“We are proud to be the leading player in the Umm Qasr port, and will continue to invest in our people, services, and port infrastructure as part of our unwavering commitment to the development of Iraq’s port industry,” he added

In 2014, ICTSI signed a contract with the General Company for Ports in Iraq to manage, operate and rehabilitate terminal facilities in North Port Umm Qasr, Iraq and to develop and expand container handling capacity via new infrastructure development.

It is said that ICTSI has invested more than $300 million to modernize and expand the multipurpose terminal.

Further, the investment covers the construction of three new berths, rehabilitation of three existing berths, acquisition of new port equipment including post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes — the largest port equipment in Iraq, and rollout of state-of-the-art systems — all of which have helped BGT consolidate its market leader position.

Currently, BGT is the terminal in the Port of Umm Qasr that is capable of efficiently handling 14,000-TEU container vessels, a value proposition that has helped attract new liner services.