Mersin International Port (MIP), Turkey’s primary container terminal, marked a significant milestone on March 27, 2024, by surpassing 25 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU) handled since its establishment in 2007. The celebration, held at the East Med Hub 1 Terminal in Mersin, saw the participation of partners, customers, government officials, and industry associations. Originally formed as a partnership between PSA International and Akfen in 2007, with IFM Investors joining in 2017, MIP has maintained an average annual growth of 14.4 percent in container volumes, reaching approximately 2 million TEUs in 2023.
Looking ahead, MIP aims to enhance its container business by expanding its handling capacity through the USD 455 million East Med Hub 2 (EMH2) expansion project. Construction began on the second phase of EMH2 in November 2023, scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2025. The expansion will extend the quay by 380 meters, reaching a total length of 880 meters with a draft of 17.5 meters, enabling simultaneous berthing of two Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) over 400 meters in length and increasing the port’s capacity from 2.6 to 3.6 million TEUs. Additionally, the project includes the acquisition of eight new automated rail mounted gantry cranes (aRMGs) and four ship-to-shore cranes, facilitating the creation of 500 direct and 5,000 indirect job opportunities. As part of its commitment to sustainability, MIP is actively investing in electrically-powered equipment and renewable energy sources, aiming to halve its carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.