Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) has inaugurated the expansion of its Batumi International Container Terminal (BICT) in Georgia.
The project covers the expansion of the waterside and the landside areas of the multipurpose terminal.
Expansion is aimed at optimising the processing of existing cargo flows and installing additional capacity to accommodate new business.
ICTSI senior vice-president and Europe, Middle East and Africa head Hans-Ole Madsen said: “This new investment consolidates and expands BICT’s competitive position.
“A comprehensive dredging programme, undertaken in cooperation with Batumi Sea Port, provides an 11.5m draught in the port’s fairway and alongside BICT’s quay line, allowing easy access for feedermax vessels at the port and making it Georgia’s deepest draught port.
“On the landside, we have met the stated requirement of importers and established a new container freight station (CFS) complete with a 180m rail spur to facilitate cross-stuffing from containers to rail cars.”
ICTSI expanded container and truck storage areas. It also introduced a dedicated two-lane gate complex for BICT, following completion of a new highway to Batumi.
With the overall development, BICT’s annual container handling capacity is set to increase to 200,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
Expansion will boost the terminal’s general cargo and dry bulk handling capacities.
Mediterranean Shipping Company is the terminal’s principal container customer.
ICTSI Group’s wholly owned company BICT acquired a 48-year lease in 2007 to operate a multi-purpose terminal and has been active in the port of Batumi since then.
