New cranes and straddle carriers to boost handling capacity at SAPO

Feb 7, 2006
Author: SAPO

South African Port Operations (SAPO), a subsidiary of Transnet announced this week, the acquisition of 14 Liebherr Super Post Panamax Cranes as well as 25 Kalmar Straddle Carriers in its continued efforts to boost efficiency and container handling at the ports of Durban and Cape Town.

Hamilton Nxumalo, SAPO GM: Equipment Engineering and Asset Management said SAPO had negotiated a contract with Liebherr Container Cranes Limited (Ireland) for the supply of 14 fully imported Super Post Panamax Cranes.

The contract which was signed in Ireland by the SAPO Chief Financial Officer, Mark Gregg-Macdonald, in November last year is in line with SAPO’s aggressive capital expenditure programme.

SAPO, which is one of the country’s key drivers of the government’s export-led growth strategy, has stepped up efforts to implement its strategy which includes an expanded management team, a focus on supply chain management and customer service. This together with implementation of the capital expenditure plan will improve efficiencies and enable SAPO to compete globally.

Mr Nxumalo said: “The cranes will be delivered in component form and erected on site in the ports of Durban and Cape Town.”

The 14 cranes have been allocated as follows

One (1) South Quay, Durban Container Terminal (DCT)

Two (2) East Quay, Durban Container Terminal (DCT)

Five (5) Pier 1 Container Terminal, Durban (Pier 1)

Six (6) Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT)

He said the first two cranes would be commissioned at DCT in March 2007 with all 8 cranes that are destined for Durban being operational by mid October 2007.

The first two cranes destined for Cape Town will be commissioned in January 2008 with all 6 cranes that are destined for Cape Town being operational by July 2008.

He said the benefits of the new cranes were that all 14 cranes have an operational outreach of 52 metres and facilitate operation on the latest Super Post Panamax size container vessels. In addition, the cranes are fitted with expandable twin-lift telescopic spreaders with the height under spreader being 37 metres.

The operating speeds are 90/175 m/min for hoist, 220/240 m/min for trolley and 45m/min for travel.

“SAPO already has 3 Liebherr cranes in operation at the Durban Container Terminal. The Liebherr family, who own Liebherr Container Cranes Limited, visited SAPO in Durban this week on a goodwill visit to inspect the existing cranes in operation. The visit also cements the relationship between SAPO and Liebherr and our continued efforts to improve efficiencies and deliver a world-class service.”

In June last year SAPO entered into an agreement with Kalmar Industries OY AB (Finland) for the supply of 53 new straddle carriers. Mr Nxumalo advised that the contract contained an option to purchase an additional 25 straddle carriers for Durban Container Terminal and this option has now been exercised.

The 53-straddle carriers are destined for the ports of Durban (16), Cape Town (26) and Port Elizabeth (11).

He said the straddle carriers for Durban and Cape Town are able to stack containers three high which will improve the stacking capacity in these container terminals.

The first batches of this order have been delivered and are in the process of being commissioned with delivery of the complete order expected by July 2006.

“The additional 25 straddle carriers - 15 of which will be able to stack three high (the remaining 10 can stack two high) - are required for replacement purposes but will also contribute to increasing the stacking capacity of the Durban Container Terminal. Delivery of this additional order will commence in July 2006. We anticipate container volumes to increase to 3.1 million TEU’s in 2006/07.”

In addition, Mr Nxumalo said there is substantial progress in the development of Pier 1 into a second container terminal in Durban.

“The new terminal will have a capacity of 590,000 TEU’s and the Liebherr cranes will be supported by 12 Rubber Tired Gantries (RTG’s) supplied by Kalmar. These giant machines will bridge 6 containers with enough space for a truck lane between the legs. Each machine has a capacity to handle 22-24 containers an hour on the seaside with an estimated 18 containers per hour on the landside, and are designed to lift a container over a stack of containers 5 high (One over Five).

“The 5 cranes allocated to Pier 1 each have a specially designed platform that allows the ship’s hatch covers to be stored on the crane. This enables the giant cranes to off load containers between the crane rails, which have a 30.4 m span.

He said in addition Tractor Haulers, ECH (Empty Container Handlers) and Reach Stackers will be used for operational activities on the Land Side and construction of the civil infrastructure, lighting, crane rails and beams have begun.

“Old equipment, e.g. Stock Yard Cranes is being moved from Pier 1 to the City Terminal in anticipation of the arrival of new equipment by the end of this year.”