Syrian box terminal starts operations

Syrian box terminal starts operations Tartous International Container Terminal (TICT), the first specialized container terminal in the Port of Tartous in Syria, started commercial operations on Sunday with the arrival of Maersk Lines' 1,512-TEU Mercosul Palometa.
   Last November Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services Inc. beat competition from the likes of CMA CGM and Agility Logistics to be awarded a 10-year concession, with a five-year option, to operate and develop the terminal.
   ICTSI then established TICT to run the facility, which is located on the North Quay, Pier B in the port. It has 540 meters (1,771.6 feet) of quay with a draft of up to 13 meters (42.7 feet) alongside. The terminal covers a 25 hectares incorporating a 15,000-square-meter warehouse for container stripping and stuffing.
   ICTSI said it plans to invest $37 million on the development of TICT over the lifetime of the concession in order to turn the port into a gateway to Syria’s capital, Damascus, and also to serve as a junction for Southern European, North African and Middle East trade.
   “This is a great day for us, and we are confident it will also prove to be a historic day for Syria, particularly for the country's importers and exporters,” said Budha Majumdar, TICT general manager and chief executive officer. “We have been preparing for this moment for some time, and while there are still challenges ahead, we are confident that the terminal will significantly raise the standard of container handling in the country. In turn, it should generate major benefits for the shipping community and the economy as a whole.”