IPA Signs Agreement with Incheon Port's First Fully Automated Terminal Operator... Opening in 2027

The first 'fully automated' container terminal at Incheon Port is being actively promoted with the goal of opening in 2027.

Incheon Port Authority (IPA) announced on the 12th that it signed an implementation agreement with a provisional consortium named Incheon Global Container Terminal Co., Ltd., the operator of the Incheon New Port Phase 1-2 container terminal. This consortium consists of five shipping and port companies: Hanjin, Seongwang, E1, Korea Marine Transport, and HMM.

After selecting this consortium as the preferred negotiator in the operator bidding held last May, IPA held the implementation agreement signing ceremony at a hotel in Seoul on the same day. Both parties agreed to actively cooperate to successfully open the terminal by December 2027 according to the agreement.

Perspective view of Incheon New Port Phase 1-2 Container Terminal. Provided by Incheon Port Authority.

The Incheon New Port Phase 1-2 container terminal will be the first fully automated container terminal at Incheon Port and the second in South Korea to apply a fully automated system for moving containers.

IPA is investing 670 billion KRW to build this terminal, which will have three berths capable of handling 4,000 TEU vessels (with one additional berth planned). It will be able to handle an annual cargo volume of 1.38 million TEU. As a result, Incheon Port’s container handling capacity is expected to increase to 4.08 million TEU.

This terminal will be able to accommodate ultra-large vessels of 30,000 TEU capacity, which is even larger than the world’s largest existing container ships (24,000 TEU). IPA is conducting substructure construction to minimize ground subsidence so that advanced equipment such as automated cranes and unmanned container transport devices can operate smoothly.

Lee Kyung-gyu, President of IPA, said, "By operating a fully automated terminal, we expect Incheon Port to solidify its position as a global port," adding, "We will do our best to achieve the goal of 5 million TEU annual container throughput at Incheon Port by 2030."