Taiwanese ports are expected to handle a total of 15.4 million TEU this year, an all-time high, as the ports benefit from global logistical bottlenecks that have seen more containers being diverted to the island.
Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s largest container port, is expected to process 9.88 million TEU this year, up 3% from 2020. As things go, Kaohsiung’s throughput is likely to exceed 10 million-TEU in 2022.
These figures were revealed by Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) chairman Lee Hsien-yi at a press conference on 14 December
The state-owned TIPC manages and operates seven ports on the island, and the higher container volumes will take its net profit to an estimated TW$7 billion (US$251.8 million) in 2021, up from TW$6 billion (US$213.6 million) in 2020 and TW$6.1 billion (US$203 million) in 2019.
“The main reason for the higher revenue is that container volumes are breaking past records, the terminals are leased out, wind power is provided to the terminal operators, and the old warehouses have been given a facelift,” explained Lee.
Kaohsiung’s throughput is expected to be boosted with the completion of the first phase of the seventh terminal, which has been leased to Evergreen Marine Corporation. The terminal has five berths that can accommodate five 22,000 TEU container ships simultaneously, amounting to an additional annual capacity of 1.5 million TEU.
The first phase, which will see half of the berths ready, will be completed in 2022, while the other berths will be finished in 2023.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
