ICTSI, 4 other groups vie for Davao-Sasa Port project
International Terminal Container Services Inc. (ICTSI) is one of the five companies that submitted credentials to be eligible to bid for the R18.99-billion Davao-Sasa Port Modernization Project.
ICTSI yesterday bought bid documents and beat the 2 p.m. deadline to submit prequalification documents despite Enrique Razon Jr.’s earlier pronouncement that the firm is not keen on the project and that it will only reconsider if required capital spending will be lowered.
ICTSI apparently came in as a buzzer-beater as neither the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) or the PublicPublic Partnership (PPP) Center include ICTSI in its list of prospective bidders a day before the deadline.
Other interested bidders include Bolloré Africa Logistics, Portek NMC Consortium, Asian Terminals Inc.-Dubai Ports World Consortium, and San Miguel Holdings Corp.-APM Terminals Consortium.
Singapore-based Portek International Pte. Ltd. holds 95 percent stake of Portek NMC Consortium while National Marine Corp. owns the minority share.
Meanwhile, ATI holds 70 percent interest on the ATI-DP World Consortium while DP World owns the remaining 30 percent.
F i n a l l y, S a n M i g u e l H o l d i n g s Corp. holds 60 percent interest on the San Miguel-APM Terminals Consortium while Netherlands-based APM Terminals owns the remaining 40 percent.
Notification of qualified bidders is expected after two weeks. Submission and opening of bids is targeted within the fourth quarter of 2015 while the awarding of the Aquino Administrations maiden port PPP project is eyed by April 2016.
The Davao-Sasa Port Modernization Project covers the construction of a new apron, development of a linear quay, expansion of the back-up area, provision of container yards and warehouses, and the installation of appropriate container handling equipment throughout a 30-year concession period.
The project likewise includes the establishment of a dedicated container handling facilities with an initial design capacity of 1,900 container ground slots to a maximum of 2,700. The existing container yard only has a 864-slot capacity.
Once the first phases of the project are completed in 2018, the operation of the Davao-Sasa Port will cut down cargo unloading from three days to three hours by using modern ship-to-shore cranes and port operating systems, according to the DOTC.
The existing Davao-Sasa Port sits on an 18-hectare property that features a 4.15-hectare container yard and 0.2-hectare reefer yard. The port facility has an annual capacity of 550,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs).
The Davao-Sasa Port Modernization Project is one of the 13 PPP projects currently under procurement. The government wants to award at least 13 more PPP projects worth R518 billion before the Aquino Administration steps down from power mid next year.