Victoria International Container Terminal in Melbourne is set to complete its next expansion phase

Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) operation at the Port of Melbourne in Australia, is bracing up to overcome the challenges of the next year and beyond with the planned completion of Phase 3A of its development project in December.

The project is carried out in two phases wherein phase 3A will upsurge the terminal’s capacity by 30% to 1.25 million TEUs. It will also expand the quay by 71 meters to 735 meters with the mooring dolphins included and will enhance VICT’s quayside operations by allowing two 366-meter vessels to berth simultaneously.

Three new storage blocks and 15 additional truck lanes have been added on the landside, which will increase the terminal’s booking system time slot offerings to the market by up to 30% per hour starting in January 2024.
VICT has recently acquired additional equipment as part of Phase 3A. This includes two ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, six auto container carriers (ACC), and six auto-stacking cranes (ASC). The ACCs and ASCs have been operational since August, providing support to the increased yard capacity. The STS cranes, which are currently the largest port equipment in Australia with a reach of 22 containers across, have arrived in the third quarter of 2023 and are expected to be operational by the end of the year.

Phase 3B is set to be completed by 2025 with the acquisition of an additional automated STS Crane, three ACCs, four ASCs, and the construction of two more storage blocks.

The CEO of VICT, Bruno Porchietto stated that the project represents a significant step forward for VICT. It will transform the container terminal landscape at the Port of Melbourne, creating new industry benchmarks for operational effectiveness and capacity. With the increased capacity and advanced equipment, VICT will be able to handle larger ships, particularly the neo-Panamax vessels with a capacity of up to 14,000 TEUs. This will bring economies of scale to the entire supply chain. These improvements demonstrate dedication to delivering the best possible service to their customers at the Port of Melbourne.