Forklift News - NEW CONTAINER PORT FOR PHILIPPINES

CEBU, Philippines -- The Cebu Port Authority (CPA) will invest more than US$150 million in a world-class container port complex to be built in 2006.

Philippines media reports say at least seven firms intend to bid for the building contract, including the Port of Hamburg, an Australian company, and a Japanese company.

Demand on the Port of Cebu, in the central Philippines province of Cebu, has increased steadily in recent years, creating a need for several expansion projects, a CPA statement said.

The CPA plans to rehabilitate 1.2km of berth, costing about US$38 million, to accommodate large inter-island vessels. This would increase foreign cargo handling capacity, as higher capacity equipment is introduced.

Fast ferries have started servicing routes between Cebu and neighbouring islands, providing an alternative to regular ferries and air transport. Six fast ferry companies now operate from the Port of Cebu, with a combined capacity of about 5,000 passengers per day. A rehabilitation and redesign of existing fast ferry berths is also planned.

An elevated walkway will link a new passenger terminal with the fast ferry berths and cargo berths. A 14-story commercial building, to be called the Maritime Centre, is included in the development.

The Port of Cebu operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has direct links to surrounding countries, including Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan.

In 1996 the port handled four million tonnes of cargo. The annual growth in cargo traffic is expected to be constant at 10% over the next decade.

The Cebu terminal has two 40-tonne rail-mounted gantry container cranes, two level cranes of 25 and 35-tonne capacities, six 40-tonne rubber-tyred gantry cranes, a 45-tonne reach stacker and three 25-tonne top lifters. The port has 2,418 ground slots for containers, and 48 slots for refrigerated containers.

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