Victoria Terminal completing expansion

Victoria International Container Terminal, the Australian subsidiary of Enrique Razon-led International Container Terminal Services Inc., is set to finish its expansion project this year to meet the challenges of 2024 and beyond.

VICT's Phase 3A expansion at the Port of Melbourne worth AUD235 million is being carried out in two phases and scheduled for completion in December 2023, the company said Wednesday in a statement.

"Phase 3A will increase the terminal's capacity by 30 percent to 1.25 million TEUs. It extends the quay by 71 meters to 735 meters or 769 meters with the mooring dolphins included and will enhance VICT's quayside operations by allowing two 366-meter vessels to berth simultaneously," it said.

On the landside, three new storage blocks and 15 new truck lanes have been added, enhancing the terminal's booking system time slot offerings to the market by up to 30 percent per hour starting in January 2024.

Bruno Porchietto, VICT's chief executive officer, stressed that 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. All these improvements represent our commitment to delivering the best service to our customers at the Port of Melbourne," he said.

Phase 3A included the acquisition of two ship-to-shore cranes, six auto container carriers, and six auto-stacking cranes which 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," the VICT statement said.

Meanwhile, Phase 3B is scheduled to be completed in 2025 and will include the acquisition of another automated STS crane, three ACCs, four ASCs, and the construction of two additional storage blocks.