Anders Dømmestrup has arrived in Melbourne to lead the VICT development at Webb Dock.
The newly-arrived CEO of the Victorian International Container Terminal (VICT) project says he is enjoying the challenge of developing Melbourne’s third container stevedoring operation.
Anders Dømmestrup says he’s “more excited than nervous” to be leading the ambitious project, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2017.
“It is indeed a large and important project for Melbourne and (now sole owner) ICTSI,” he says.
“(It is) a $620 million upfront foreign direct investment that will provide important capacity to serve new, larger vessels as well as being a catalyst for further expansion of the market.”
Philippine company ICTSI won the right to build and operate the port in May last year, together with Anglo Ports which has since sold its 10 per cent share back to ICTSI.
Dømmestrup has been brought into the company specifically for the VICT project.
He boasts over 23 years’ experience in the global container shipping and ports industry, having started in an operations role in Dubai in 1992.
He held regional managerial roles in Maersk in Asia and the Middle East, heading up functions including intermodal operations, regional deployment and terminal procurement.
In 2005, Dømmestrup left Maersk to be chief operating officer of the Hong Kong-based Modern Terminals.
He ran both the local operation (facilitating movement of 5.5 million twenty-foot unit equivalents) and three Mainland China ports.
Now, the industry veteran finds himself in Melbourne, and is quickly orienting himself to the new city, company, and task.
He says part of that has been made easier by the planning and preparation that had gone into the project before his arrival.
“VICT can be proud of a well thought-out design which supports a strong vision towards meeting excellent standards,” he says.
“This is not only during the container terminal’s construction period but also when operations begin so VICT can serve larger vessels efficiently and local trucks to the same high standard.”
Dømmestrup made no comment on recent moves by the Port of Melbourne to impose substantially higher rents on one of the two existing stevedore operations.
The port has reportedly used VICT’s successful and high priced bid to suggest a new market value for dock space, increasing the rent demanded of DP World by 750 per cent.