Yilport Holding announced the takeover of Port of Taranto’s container terminal, the company said in its release.
The 49-year concession agreement was signed previously on July 30, 2019 between Yilport and Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea (PNAIS), the managing institution of the Port of Taranto in Italy. After the handover, Yilport became the sole operator of the terminal via its subsidiary, San Cataldo Container Terminal SpA (SCCT).
The handover document was signed on February 27, 2020 in Taranto, by the President of PNAIS, Sergio Prete, and the General Manager of SCCT, Raffaella Del Prete. Taranto Container Terminal became the 22nd marine port in Yilport Holding’s portfolio, and its first terminal in Italy. Yilport will promote the development of commercial traffic and logistics with particular reference to container handling, general cargo, and ro-ro operations.
In the long run, Yilport plans to revamp Taranto Container Terminal, and bring annual capacity up to 3 million TEU. During the takeover, Yilport contracted Konecranes for revamping of cranes. Revamping work covers 2 STS gantry cranes with 22-wide outreach and 5 STS cranes with 18-wide outreach, 16 RMGs, 1 MHC, 2 reach stackers, and 2 ECHs. Taranto Container Terminal offers high-level productivity on 1 million square meters’ land area. Easy access to highway network, and 5 active rail platforms connect the terminal directly to Milan and Bologna less than 24 hours by the national railway system with no limitation on container size including high-cube containers.
The terminal is also eligible to serve up to Post-Panamax sized container vessels with -15 meters draft and will be able to serve up to ULCVs after just finishing the dredging to -16.5 meters draft in a year’s time. The terminal will offer 160,000 square meters of CFS and Empty Container Services area, 8,000 square meters of closed warehouse inside the terminal, providing stuffing, stripping, inspection, M&R, PTI, sweeping, cleaning, empty container inspection, conditioning, and warehousing.