Evergreen's new Kaohsiung terminal is now fully operational

Evergreen Marine Corporation's new container facility in the Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung - Terminal 5 - is now fully operational. With three berths available, the terminal has the capability to handle in excess of one million TEU per annum, complementing the company's dedicated three-berth facility (Berths 115, 116 and 117) in Terminal 4.

To meet demand forecasts and to ensure the smooth handling of its business, Evergreen took the decision in 1997 to tender for the concession to operate Terminal 5 as a common-user facility and outlined an NT$3.3 billion investment plan. Today, the terminal is Kaohsiung's first large, privately-run common-user port facility.

The first berth at the new terminal, Berth 79, opened on 15 May, 1999. With 15 meters depth alongside, this berth has a container stacking capacity of 13,500 TEU (11,000 TEU loaded and 2,500 TEU empties). With the completion of Berths 80 and 81 in September, 2000, the new facility now boasts a total quay length of 815 meters and a back-up area of over 400,000 square meters to serve three container vessels simultaneously. The stacking capacity is now sufficient for 20,000 TEU loaded containers plus 5,500 TEU empties while there are reefer points for 824 containers. In total, eight post-Panamax gantry cranes have been provided plus 24 rail mounted gantry cranes and three empty container stackers.

Evergreen is one of the biggest operators in the port of Kaohsiung, achieving a throughput of 1.7m TEU in 2000. Evergreen has now switched the majority of its services from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5, enabling it to commence a programme of refurbishment and upgrading on the older facility. Once complete, the company will be able to spread its volumes across the two terminals, providing capacity to expand and to accommodate more third-party business over Terminal 5.