Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT), International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) container handling facility in Misamis Oriental, recently took delivery of two Mitsui hybrid rubber tired gantries (RTG) – the first in Mindanao.
The new deliveries expand MCT’s RTG fleet to six units, improving yard productivity and overall terminal efficiency without significantly adding to the terminal’s carbon footprint. The Mitsui hybrids are powered by a combination of a lithium-ion battery and a smaller diesel engine unlike conventional RTGs that 100 percent run on fossil fuel.
“The hybrid RTGs make our operations more efficient and at the same time more environment friendly because of the reduced emissions, allowing us to hit both our productivity and sustainability targets. We’re also commissioning additional equipment to meet expanding capacity requirements,” said Aurelio Garcia, MCT general manager.
MCT is also set to take delivery of a new side lifter within the year. To improve vessel-handling capability, MCT has purchased a mobile harbor crane that will arrive by the first half of 2023. It will augment MCT’s two quay cranes and enable the simultaneous handling of two longer vessels.
The purchase of new equipment comes after the 100-meter berth extension and installation of dolphin mooring and inland bollards back in 2020. These improvements are all geared towards addressing the increase in volume and service demand as the global economy slowly begins to recover from the impact of the pandemic.