APM Terminals (APMT) has announced that the Alabama Port Authority completed its 120m container dock extension at the APMT Mobile facility on 20 March, and three days later, the terminal for the first time simultaneously handled two container ships at the newly expanded berth.
The berth extension now enables two x 8,000-10,000TEU be safely and easily handled simultaneously. The quay extension was part of a US$50 million Phase 3 expansion that increased terminal capacity and productivity at the 10-year old APM Terminals Mobile intermodal container complex at the Port of Mobile.
The Belita with a length overall of 334m and the COSCO Santos with a length overall of 261.1m utilised about 640m of berth on the newly finished quay.
With weekly post-Panamax container ship calls at the APM Terminals-operated facility, the port authority quickly removed possible vessel berth conflicts at the terminal. The dock enhancement project also beefed up the mooring and fender systems to accommodate super post-Panamax vessels.
The terminal is already equipped with two super post-Panamax and two post-Panamax ship-to-shore gantry cranes to service the larger container class vessels already calling the port.
Prior US$450 million investment
The APMT Mobile Phase 3 modernisation project complements prior investments by the Alabama State Port Authority and APM Terminals totaling US$450 million in marine and rail container intermodal terminals. Investments to date will soon be enhanced by the recent US Army Corps of Engineers issued permit and receipt of full federal and state funding to take the Mobile Harbor to -50 feet draft by 2024. Construction on the channel and harbor improvements is expected to begin later this year.
Brian Harold, Managing Director of APM Terminals Mobile said, “This expansion enables us to offer improved capabilities to quickly service vessels that may arrive ahead-of, or behind schedule.”
The new dock is also capable of housing more cranes – which allows more cranes to be added in the future, according to APM Terminals. Other recent improvements include an expanded outbound gate (from four to six lanes) and an expanded Intermodal Rail Facility (by four hectares).
In addition, across the street from the terminal, a nearly 27,800m2 refrigerated warehouse facility, is being built by MCT Logistics and is aimed for completion later this year.
APM Terminals Mobile currently has four direct all-water weekly services from Asia, calling various Ports in China and Southeast Asia; three of them make direct calls in Busan as well. The facility handled 419,316TEU in 2019.
