Two new cranes for TPT's Ngqura container terminal

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) successfully tested of two Liebherr Super Post Panamax cranes at its Ngqura Container Terminal, Port Technology Online says. The new cranes, which were purchased at an investment of R150 million by the port operator and delivered in January, are due to be put in operation this month, bringing the terminal's number of Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes to eight.

Siya Mhlaluka, Terminal Executive for the Eastern Cape Terminals, said that the cranes cater for the projected growth in the market's volume demand. In addition, he said, the cranes will improve productivity by increasing Ship Working Hour (SWH) - the number of containers moved by all cranes working a vessel in one hour. Port Technology Online reports78 additional operators have been trained and are now ready to operate the equipment.

According to Port Technology Online, Transnet is to invest R300 billion on freight infrastructure over the next seven years, in line with its newly formulated Market Demand Strategy. Of this, TPT will invest R33 billion to boost port operations, and the 600,000 m2 Ngqura Container Terminal will get almost R1.1 billion for expansion.

Read the full article on www.porttechnology.org