Yard Cranes News

A recently completed terminal expansion project at Canada's Port of Vancouver is set to boost capacity amid projected cargo volume growth at the Canadian West Coast seaport.The Construction on the Centerm Expansion Project—delivered by the the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in partnership with terminal operator DP World—allows Centerm to handle 60% more containers by increasing the terminal footprint by 15%. Work completed includes expanding the terminal footprint to the west and east…

Oakland International Container Terminal (SSA), a major Port of Oakland tenant, said its $6 million conversion to hybrid yard cranes would cut greenhouse gas emissions 96 percent. “This is way better than we thought it would be,” said Ken Larson, Crane Manager for the terminal’s parent company, Seattle-based SSA Terminals. “So far, this is a very successful project.”The marine terminal, which handles 61 percent of Oakland’s cargo, is converting 13 massive cargo handlers, known as rubber tired gantry cranes, from diesel to battery-powered hybrid engines. The 90-foot-tall cranes combine to lift about 1,000 containers a day.Three yard cranes have been retrofitted and returned to service since March, the terminal reported. The remainder will be done by next June.

Kalmar, a part of Cargotec Corporation,  forges ahead on its electrification journey with maritime industry's first fully electric reachstacker for the global logistics provider Cabooter Group."Kalmar is another step closer to having an electric version of every product in its portfolio by 2021 with the announcement of an agreement with Cabooter Group, who will be the first customer to take a fully electric version of the Kalmar Reachstacker into use in 2021," said a press release from the provider of cargo-handling solutions and services to ports.Since its founding in 1995, the Cabooter Group has grown to become a global logistics provider and one of the leading logistics hub operators in Europe.

The cargo handling solutions provider Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has introduced a fully electric version of the Kalmar Empty Container Handler.According to a company press release, the launch represents another significant step on the company's journey towards offering an electric version of every product in its portfolio by 2021. The all-electric machine is the latest addition to Kalmar's Eco Range, which already includes the Kalmar Eco Reachstacker with a fuel-saving guarantee. In addition, Kalmar has already launched fully electric versions of its light and medium forklift trucks, Kalmar Ottawa terminal tractors, shuttle and straddle carriers, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and yard cranes.

In the latest development, the Port of Oakland announced that its largest marine terminal is converting 13 diesel-powered yard cranes to hybrid power. The result is expected to be an annual 45-ton reduction in diesel-related air pollutants.The Port said the first hybrid crane began service March 5 at Oakland International Container Terminal. It added that the rest of the terminal’s retrofitted fleet will come online by next year. Each crane, shaped like an inverted U on wheels, is being equipped with batteries and new, smaller diesel backup engines.“This is the Prius of cargo-handling equipment,” explained Port of Oakland Environmental Planner Catherine Mukai.

The inauguration of APM Terminals Moín, Costa Rica yesterday will enable products to be shipped on transatlantic routes to European and Asian markets without transshipment.The new terminal will also move Costa Rica to number one for connectivity, out of 139 countries ranked by the World Economic Forum, said a press release from the international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands."At APM Terminals we partner with governments to become the best port operator in the world and Moín is a great example. Without any doubt, we are inaugurating today a new era in international and intra-regional trade in Central America,” said Morten H. Engelstoft, CEO of APM Terminals.

Kalmar, the provider of eco-efficient cargo handling equipment and automated terminal solutions, , has signed a deal to supply six Kalmar Zero Emission Rubber-tired Gantry cranes (RTGs) to South Florida Container Terminal, LLC.The cranes will be equipped with a busbar energy system and operator assist features like auto steering and container stack profiling, said a press statement from Kalmar, part of Cargotec.The order was booked in Cargotec's 2019 Q1 order intake with delivery scheduled to be completed in early 2020. This will be the first container terminal in the United States that has 100% zero-emission RTG cranes. These are also the first RTG cranes that will be installed in the Port of Miami.South Florida Container Terminal…

The Port of Felixstowe has taken delivery of its first two remote control ship-to-shore (STS) gantry cranes. The two new cranes, the 32nd and 33rd at the UK's largest container port, were delivered on the Zhen Hua 23 from ZPMC in Shanghai. "These new cranes are the latest acquisition in our ongoing investment programme to provide the best equipment, infrastructure and systems for our customers. They will further enhance our capability to work multiple mega-vessels simultaneously. "Remote control quay cranes have been pioneered at other Hutchison Ports terminals. In addition to the new cranes, the port is creating an additional 18,000 TEU of container storage capacity…

Officials from the Port of Long Beach, Southern California Edison and the California Energy Commission today launched the nation’s largest pilot project for zero-emissions cranes and other cargo-handling equipment for seaports. Funded mostly by a $9.7 million grant from the California Energy Commission, the project will bring 25 vehicles that are zero- or near zero-emissions to Port of Long Beach marine terminals for one year to test their performance in a real-world setting. The launch event was held at Pacific Container Terminal at Long Beach’s Pier J — operated by SSA Terminals — one of three terminals participating in the project.

The Georgia Ports Authority broke ground on its $126.7 million Mason Mega Rail Terminal Monday. The expansion will increase the Port of Savannah's rail lift capacity to 1 million containers per year, and open new markets spanning an arc of cities from Memphis to St. Louis, Chicago to Cincinnati. "Today is a great day for Georgia and the nation," said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. The Mega Rail ground breaking is the latest in a series of Gov. Deal's signature projects designed to make Georgia the transportation and logistics hub of North America - which include the recent announcement of 50 percent completion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, a new inland terminal in Northwest Georgia, and a $10 billion statewide transportation improvement plan.

Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch outlined a plan that will double container handling capacity to 10 million TEUs at Garden City Terminal within 10 years. "Georgia is home to both the single largest container and roll-on/roll-off facilities in North America," Lynch said. Lynch provided an overview of GPA's 2028 Plan that calls for 42 ship-to-shore cranes, 200 yard cranes, new RTG lanes and significant intermodal expansion in Savannah. The GPA will soon open its second inland terminal in Northwest Georgia and break ground on the Mason Mega Rail project at Garden City Terminal. Combined, both intermodal projects will open new markets while significantly reducing rail crossings and over the road freight through Savannah, Atlanta and beyond.

PSA Corporation and Sunseap Group Pte Ltd have signed a 21-year solar power purchase agreement that will enhance the eco-friendliness of the container port and ancillary buildings in PSA’s Singapore facilities. Sunseap will construct and install a 4 Megawatt peak solar system across five sites in PSA’s Singapore terminals, including terminal buildings, gates, maintenance base and workers’ dormitories at Pasir Panjang Terminal. Under the contract, Sunseap will install and maintain the solar photovoltaic system as well as offer a competitive electricity tariff rate that will allow PSA to reduce its carbon footprint, in line with PSA’s sustainability goals. The solar photovoltaic system is estimated to be operational by end of Oct 2018.

Advances and developments in heavy lift transportation are allowing shipyards to rethink how, and where, they build and maintain vessels. Utilizing this technology can help a yard expand its order book and improve its bottom line. The use of Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs) in shipyards enables a facility to expand its operations in numerous ways, including new building, maintenance and repair or storage. These projects can range from straightforward to complex transport engineering assignments.

The $3.5 billion Phase 3 and 4 expansion of Pasir Panjang Terminal was officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (June 23). The expansion will add 15 berths with a 6 km quay length to the container terminal's existing 52 berths. The new berths have an 18 m-deep draught. The facilities, known as Pasir Panjang Terminal Phases 3 and 4, are slated to be fully operational by end-2017. The expansion - comprising the currently operational Pasir Panjang Terminal 5…

APM Terminals has signed a two-year, €5 million ($6.23 million) contract with Amsterdam-based NV Nuon Energy for the supply of environmentally-sustainable wind-generated electricity to power the new APM Terminals Maasvlakte II cranes and container handling equipment. The new 2.7 million TEU annual capacity deepwater terminal, scheduled to receive its first commercial vessel call later this month, will reportedly be the world’s first container terminal with zero emissions on site and off site. The contract term begins January 1, 2015.

Long Beach Ports, threatening holiday commerce and U.S. San Francisco, CA (November 6, 2014) – Escalating its use of orchestrated job actions that have already crippled terminal operations at Pacific Northwest ports, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has now targeted the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by unilaterally refusing to dispatch hundreds of qualified, skilled workers for critically important positions transporting containers in terminal yards at the nation’s largest port complex. On short notice, the Union informed the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) that starting Monday, November 3rd, it would not dispatch qualified ILWU members…

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Costa Rican Government and APM Terminals in an appeal filed by the port workers union against the 33-year concession contract for the new Moin Container Terminal (TCM) in Limon on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. "The TCM will be a world class, modern, safe and efficient terminal operating under international standards and procedures, designed to boost Costa Rica´s international trade by taking full advantage of the economy of scale provided by the new-Panamax container vessels of up to 13,500 containers, vessels of up to five times larger than those which can be serviced in the country today," Gallie said.

The UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport and Wimbledon MP, Rt. Hon. Stephen Hammond MP has paid a visit to DP World London Gateway to congratulate the team on their success. During Hammond’s last visit in January 2013, the port had only just started to install the first of its yard cranes. Since opening in November 2013, DP World London Gateway has seen a continued increase in ship traffic and is due to see a new West Africa service start in a few weeks. During the winter…

The Buenaventura Container Terminal (TCBuen) in Colombia, part of Grup Maritim TCB, is the first terminal in Latin America to implement new OCR systems, Match Maker and DGPS on quay and yard cranes, as well as in processes of gate entry and exit. The investment amounts to $3.5 million. The TCBuen marine terminal implement the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) operations at the end of 2011, concluding the complete installation in December 2012 to optimise and allow real-time traceability of all containers entering and leaving the terminal.

Port Commission approves Barbours Cut, Bayport, crane deals, new Bayport gate system. Corporation for four electric wharf cranes at Barbours Cut Container Terminal. The Port Commission also amended a contract with Konecranes for eight diesel electric container yard cranes for Barbours Cut to include three additional diesel electric container yard cranes for the Bayport Terminal at a cost of $5.9 million. The growth in containers is a leading indicator for the need for expanded facilities at Bayport to provide present and future customers with consistent, efficient service, as well as improvements in the truck gate technology at Bayport. Port Authority Executive Director Len Waterworth noted that growth seen in April largely was due to containers.

The development of a £300 million container terminal in Liverpool (U.K.) is driving a major technology investment by Britain’s second largest ports group. Peel Ports is introducing the Navis N4 terminal operation system – acclaimed as the gold standard in global container management – at eight sites in the U.K. and Ireland. The upgrade is being driven by Liverpool2 – a new container hub for the U.K. and Ireland which will serve as the enabling platform from which the group will standardise and centralise its terminal operation systems.

One of Asia’s largest port authorities has signed a landmark cooperation agreement with the company building a new container terminal at Liverpool in the heart of the U.K. Peel Ports Group and Busan Port Authority will now work together to hone technical, economical and commercial acumen and increase investment in infrastructure and environmental developments. Lim Ki-tack, president of Busan Port Authority, travelled to the U.K. to meet Mark Whitworth, CEO of Peel Ports Group, and sign the agreement November 14.

APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas S.A. de C.V. to build & operate a new terminal on Mexico's Pacific coast. After winning a tender on December 15, 2011, APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas S.A. de C.V. has now signed a 32-year concession contract with the Port Authority of the Port of Lazaro Cardenas (APILAC) for the design, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of a new specialized container terminal at the port. APM Terminals will start construction by September of this year. The first phase will be completed in 2015, costing over USD 300 million. The terminal will undergo a phased expansion in accordance with provisions stipulated in the concession agreement. The entire project will require an investment of over USD 900 million.