MERSIN International Port (MIP), Turkey's main container port, has marked a historic milestone by processing over 25 million TEU, reports London's Port Technology.

To celebrate the achievement, MIP held a ceremony at the East Med Hub 1 Terminal in Mersin, which was attended by partners, consumers, government leaders, and industry groups.

MIP was founded in 2007 as a joint venture between PSA International and Akfen, and in 2017 IFM Investors became a third partner.

Since its inception, MIP's container volumes have expanded at an average rate of 14.4 per cent per year, with almost two million TEU handled in 2023 alone.

To meet the evolving needs of its customers, MIP noted that it will continue to future-proof its container business by increasing its handling capacity through its US$455 million East Med Hub 2 (EMH2) expansion project.

MIP began building on the second phase of EMH2 in November 2023, and when completed in the first quarter of 2025, it is planned to increase the quay's length by 380 metres to 880 metres, with a draft of 17.5 metres.

This will allow two Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) of more than 400 metres to berth simultaneously, increasing the port's capacity from 2.6 to 3.6 million TEU.

The project also includes the procurement of eight new automated rail mounted gantry cranes (aRMGs) and four more ship-to-shore (STS) cranes.

At the same time, MIP plans to cut its carbon emissions in half by 2030 and be net zero by 2050.