HMM Upgrades HBCT Facilities by 2002

Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd (HMM) has announced that HBCT (Hyundai
Busan Container Terminal, formerly Busan Container Terminal Operation
Co (BCTOC)), handed over by the Korean government at an international
auction last year, will be developed as a logistic center for North-E
ast Asia and renovated with new facilities.
HMM has invested 50 billion won to improve facilities. It will deepen
the berth, from 12.5 meters at present to a much deeper of 15 meters,
capable of serving huge vessels with over 5,000 TEU capacity. And als
o, 3 additional top-of-the-line-gantry cranes will be set up to make l
oading and stevedoring possible at one time when 6,000 TEU vessel come
in. Cranes inside the terminal will be upgraded and the CFS (Containe
r Freight Station) enhanced.
HMM is going to increase capacity by 30 percent to 1.3 million TEU of
cargoes from the 1 million TEU at present by Streamlining the adminis
tration and pushing sales.
HBCT construction will end in 2002 and expects to become a major logi
stic center like Singapore.
HBCT has a 1,447 meter long pier and can store over 30,000 containers
at a time in its 120,000 pyong CFS. It has 13 gantry cranes. And it h
andled over half of domestic container volume in the mid 1990's.