Work commences on Phase-2 wharf revetment and land reclamation at Port of Kaohsiung's 7th Container Terminal
As part of ongoing efforts to promote the global competitiveness and sustainable development of the Port of Kaohsiung in line with Executive Yuan and MOTC policy directives, the Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) is making steady progress on building the deep-water harbor facilities necessary to handle today's largest container vessels and support the port's development as a container transshipment hub, the company said in its release.
With the completion of 7th Container Terminal 1st-phase wharf revetment and new land reclamation work, the Port of Kaohsiung is now proceeding with backfilling land designated for the terminal's future container yards. Phase 2 wharf revetment and land reclamation work formally began in July (2020) and is scheduled for completion in April 2023.
Port of Kaohsiung's 7th Container Terminal will be leased to Evergreen Marine, which has plans to operate 5 deep-water wharves at the terminal, capable of servicing the world's largest-capacity, 24,000TEU ultra-large container ships (ULCS). Moreover, the adjacent container yards will extend inland to a uniform depth of 700m. The 7th Container Terminal offers exceptional prospects for development as a large, fully automated container handling facility and will help power Port of Kaohsiung's way forward as a highly competitive and stable hub of global shipping. Public investment in the 7th Container Terminal has topped NT$20.3 billion. Phase 2 wharf revetment and land reclamation work will create 1,148m of new waterline, which will be used to construct the -18m water-depth wharves, and 65ha of new land for the terminal's container yards. Once finished and operational facilities have been installed, the Phase 1 and 2 sections of the 7th Container Terminal will be fully capable of handling 24,000TEU ULCS and operate an automated container yard able to smoothly handle at least 4.5 million TEU/year, providing a strong platform for logistics industry growth.
The Port of Kaohsiung, strategically located astride East Asia's main shipping lanes, offers many hub-port advantages. In 2016, Evergreen Marine joined with three other global shipping companies to form Ocean Alliance – the world's second largest shipping alliance. Port of Kaohsiung's status as a new transshipment hub can be expected to increase as the number of Ocean Alliance fleet ships calling at the 7th Container Terminal rises, fueling the next stage of business growth at the port.
TIPC notes that the 7th Container Terminal, following the lead of the Port of Kaohsiung's Intercontinental Container Terminal, is a major construction project tailor-made to fit the needs of an up-and-coming transshipment hub. Furthermore, TIPC is committed to keeping work on schedule and to ensuring that, under Evergreen Marine's capable management, the 7th Container Terminal will deliver highly efficient, world-class quality container handling services, creating the foundations for a state-of-the-art modern container terminal and supporting new horizons and new opportunities.
