The Israel Ports Company (IPC) announced that it has completed the construction of the new NIS 1 billion ($250m) Carmel container terminal and has turned it over to the Haifa Port Company for operations.

Yiftach Ron-Tal, IPC Board Chairman, said that the terminal's modern infrastructure will facilitate more efficient service for importers and exporters and benefit the national economy.  Ron-Tal added that the IPC is committed to providing the port infrastructure needed to facilitate national economic growth and has therefore already begun design work on the next stage container terminals in Ashdod and Haifa that will be needed during the coming decade.

Shlomo Brieman, IPC CEO, reported that the Carmel project was completed on-time and on-budget and was built based on the highest international standards in order to allow the terminal to accommodate super post-Panamax vessels.  The IPC has completed a number of additional projects in recent years including the Eitan Container Terminal in Ashdod. 

The Carmel terminal has a 700m main quay and a 250m secondary quay.  Water depth at quay stands at 15.5m.  The IPC's project included the construction of a specialized dangerous and hazardous stacking area, reefer racks, electrical substations and operational buildings.  The terminal provides an additional capacity of about 600,000 box moves per year. 

The Haifa Port Company has ordered 6 ship to shore gantry cranes and 12 rail mounted gantry cranes that are expected to be delivered during 2010.

(Attached picture shows the new terminal with its first containers.  The Eastern Container Terminal is in the background.)