TCB brings two new RTG’s into operation at CAPSA Tenerife

Barcelona, 29 January 2008.-

The two new RTG’s recently installed by the TCB Group for container handling and other works at its port terminal at CAPSA (Compañía Auxiliar del Puerto S.A.) in Tenerife, are now fully operational.

With these two gantries made by  Konecranes, CAPSA has a total amount of 14 RTG’s operating in this terminal.

The new RTG’s are operating to full satisfaction. They have improved the capacity of managing increasing container volumes and are helping to streamline the internal terminal processes. This will result in an increased productivity and a better service to customers in the areas of reception/delivery and vessel operations.

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The Spanish Group TCB to Operate Future Container Terminal at Nemrut Bay, Izmir, Turkey

11 December 2007.–

-  The investment will be over $76M in machinery
-  Grup TCB now operates 13 port terminals around the world

Grup Marítim TCB has reached an agreement with the company Ege Gübre to start a container terminal in Turkey, specifically in the land owned by them in Nemrut Bay, in Aliaga near Izmir. Izmir is the country’s third largest city and an important business area that plays a vital role as an export centre of the country.

The Turkish container market reached 3.8 million TEUS in 2006 with an annual growth rate of 15.8%, it is expected to reach 4.3 million TEUS in 2007, and represents one of the markets with the greatest potential given to the demographic and economic characteristics of Turkey. The Port of Izmir is the second largest in the country in container volume, with 850,000 TEUS moved in 2006. In May 2007 this port was privatized and sold to a partnership made up of the Turkish investment company Global Holdings, the terminal operator Hutchison Whampoa together with the regional association of exporters.

GMTCB, through its subsidiary CAPSA, will create a society in Turkey named TC EGE which will have the preferential right to use Ege Gübre’s maritime infrastructure and will lease the surrounding land from Ege Gübre. The time period for this agreement is up to 30 years, initially 15 years which can be extended in an additional 15 if the traffic reaches the expected volumes. The shareholders of TC EGE will be CAPSA, Ege Gübre and the Kinay Family, whereby CAPSA will hold a majority shareholding.

The project will achieve a capacity of more than 650,000 TEUS and will require an investment of over $76M, basically in container handling equipment. The first phase is planned to start operation at the beginning of the year 2009.

The Terminal will be developed in several phases. In the first phase it will have a berth with 725m length and 16.5 hectares of terminal yard; in the second phase the berth will have a length of 1,059m and 30.5 hectares yard. The water depth alongside the berth will be 17m, which will allow the mooring of the latest generation of vessels and will distinguish this terminal from possible competitors, including those in the Port of Izmir.

This agreement allows GMTCB to continue with its growth plan, which until now has been centred on the Spanish and Latin American markets. Within the Group’s strategy there are plans for development in the Mediterranean, for which reason GMTCB attended the privatization of the Port of Radès in Tunisia and became the contract winner. The government, however, later stopped the privatization process. This will be the first GMTCB project outside of the Spanish and Latin American market.

With this new terminal in Turkey, the Spanish group TCB now operates 13 port terminals around the world.