Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Port Island Phase 2 Development Project at the Port of Kobe with Kobe-Osaka International Port Corporation.
Following the completion of Kobe-Osaka International Port Corporation’s phase 2 South Pier expansion and upgrade work (planned for 2025), MOL will lease Berth PC-14 and the area behind the terminal and develop Kobe International Container Terminal (KICT).
MOL currently rents KICT and co-operates with Sankyu Inc., Sumitomo Warehouse Co., Ltd., and Nickel & Lyons Ltd. on Berths PC-15/16/17.
The MoU also asks for “K” Line to join KICT, which presently runs a container terminal on Rokko Island.
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After the completion of the expansion and improvement work, KICT will reportedly be the largest terminal in western Japan, handling about 40 per cent of international container cargo at the Port of Kobe.
The extended KICT will have a total wharf length of 1,750 metres, up from its current length of 1,050 metres, allowing for more flexible berth windows and simplifying connections for containers with other routes (transshipment).
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A container goods station directly connected to the terminal, as well as a logistics complex with an overhead crane capable of moving heavier cargo, will be developed on the area behind the terminal, providing one-stop service from cargo container loading to delivery to the terminal.
Shosen Koun Co., Ltd., a MOL Group firm, will operate these facilities, aiming to provide easy and competitive logistics services.
In June 2023, MOL and Chevron Singapore PTE. LTD. signed a MoU to reduce the carbon intensity of their maritime energy industries.
