International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) has formally inaugurated two new berths which for the first time offer the port of Umm Qasr, Iraq’s main dry cargo port, the ability to handle container vessels of up to 14,000TEU.
The inauguration ceremony marked both the opening for business of the two new berths, Berths 25 and 26, and the completion of ICTSI’s overall $250 million investment program at its Basra Gateway Terminal (BGT).
Located in Umm Qasr’s North Port, BGT operates a high capacity container terminal together with specialized facilities for the handling of general cargo, ro-ro, dry bulk and project cargo for the oil and gas sector.
Earlier development included the construction of Berth 27, adjacent to the new berths, with the three berths now offering a combined continuous berth length of 600m. Design depth alongside Berths 25 and 26 is 14 meters.
In 2018, a customized Damen cutter suction dredger – type CSD500 – was brought in to assist in the extension of the Basra Gateway Terminal.