- Five post-Panamax cranes to be extended to a 23-container row reach
APM Terminals has announced that it will retrofit five post-Panamax cranes at its Maasvlakte I terminal in the Port of Rotterdam to accommodate the latest generation of ultra-large container ships.
A team of engineers will retrofit the cranes to a 23-container row reach in preparation for the call of the 18,000 TEU capacity Marie Maersk, the fourth vessel to be rolled-out as part of the company’s Triple-E series, which is scheduled to arrive at the facility on December 6th. The Marie Maersk is operating on the Asia/North Europe AE10 service.
“We are continuously anticipating and adapting to our customers’ needs to provide industry-leading efficiency and productivity,” said APM Terminals’ European portfolio manager, Ben Vree.
The first of Maersk’s Triple-E ships, the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller, made its maiden Rotterdam call in August. The giant ship was not only the largest of its kind to be welcomed by the Dutch port but it also enabled the terminal to break its productivity record after making 215 gross moves per hour upon handling its cargo.
APM Terminals’ new Maasvlakte II terminal, being built adjacent to the current site, will boast eight remote-controlled super-post Panamax cranes with a 25-container wide reach. APM Terminals Rotterdam is currently one of the busiest container terminals in Europe, handling 2.5 million TEU in 2012.