MIT Readies for Boxship Giants

Manzanillo International Terminal-Panama (MIT) received four new ZPMC Super Post-Panamax gantry cranes (with 25 container rows on deck) on Friday August 28, 2015, as part of its USD 270 million expansion plan that will increase MIT’s handling capacity to 4 million TEU from the existent capacity of 2.5 million TEU.

Upon commissioning, expected by October 2015, a total of 11 post-Panamax and 8 super post-Panamax container cranes will be lined up along MIT’s 2,000m container quay.

“MIT is a successful example of private investment in one of our most important economic sectors, transport and logistics. The arrival of those cranes and MIT’s expansion are not only significant for the province of Colon where MIT is located but are key elements for consolidating Panama as a maritime and logistics center, in particular on the eve of the inauguration of the Panama Canal expansion and the new third lane,” said Panama’s President Juan Carlos Varela during a visit to the terminal.

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MIT is a joint venture of Seattle-based SSA Marine and a group of Panamanian investors and it has the second highest container volume in the country.

In June 2015, MIT became the first Latin American terminal to deploy Automatic Stacking Cranes (ASC’s). The first phase of MIT’s expansion plans, that will increase capacity to 3m teu will conclude by year-end with an additional 395mtr-post-Panamax- berth, equipped with 4 new Super-Post- Panamax cranes, and new Ro-Ro dolphins that will accommodate two Ro-Ro vessels simultaneously.

The environmentally friendly new cranes are capable of handling the biggest vessels in the world and have the capacity to be operated from a remote control station. By October 2015, MIT is expected to be able to serve 2 new-Panamax vessels simultaneously.

“MIT’s new cranes (valued at 50M) are the largest in Latin America. Upon the completion of our latest expansion project, MIT will have invested almost $1Bn, which represents our commitment to Panama and our customers. Along with our customers, we are eagerly awaiting the completion of the Panama Canal expansion in order to see the deployment of new-Panamax tonnage in the region,” said Stacy Hatfield, MIT’s General Manager.