Turkey’s Mersin International Port Management Inc (MIP) is looking to expand the capacity of its terminal in Mersin by 1m teu.
The East Med Hub 2 (EMH2) project is set to involve an investment of $455m, the Singapore terminal operator said in a statement.
Capacity at the facility in southern Turkey on the Mediterranean coast will expand from 2.6m teu to 3.6m teu.
The quay will be extended by 380 metres to a total length of 880 metres and have a draught of 18 metres, enabling the terminal to handle two ultra large container vessels of up to 400 metres simultaneously.
MIP plans to complete the first phase of the EMH2 project by the first quarter of 2025 and complete it by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
“MIP has made investments that will carry the terminal into the future and strengthen its position in world trade,” said MIP general manager Ajay Kumar Singh.
“We focus on providing added value to the development of the region and Turkey’s economy with the investments we have made so far.”
David Yang, PSA International’s regional CEO for EuroMed and Americas, said: “The investment is a clear demonstration of our unwavering dedication to the continued growth and excellence of the port.
“At the same time [we are] curbing our environmental impact by introducing sustainable infrastructure and equipment such as electrified automated rail mounted gantry cranes, electrified quay cranes, a fuel-efficient tugboat and energy-efficient buildings.”
MIP, which is the largest port in Turkey, is a joint venture between Akfen Holding and Singapore’s PSA International which took over T.C.D.D. Mersin Port Management for 36 years in May 2007.
In 2017, Australian fund company IFM became the third shareholder in the company.
MIP is one of the main container ports in the Mediterranean region, with transshipment and hinterland connections to the Middle East and the Black Sea.
Due to its location and connectivity, MIP is said to be one of the principal import and export gateways to the industrialised cities of central and south-eastern Turkey.
PSA International controls more than 60 deepsea, rail and inland terminals across 42 countries, according to its website.
