Boskalis, a Dutch maritime infrastructure company, has delivered a Chinese-built crane ship to Sierra Leone to assist with the country’s port construction efforts.
The NORTH WAVE 1 was delivered on 28 March from Ningde port in Fujian, China – according to Chinese media outlet Xinhua.
The transportation was carried out via the semi-submersible vessel TRIUMPH.
READ: Top 10 Ports in China 2022
This development comes in the midst of increased scrutiny of Chinese-made cranes in international ports, primarily due to cybersecurity concerns.
Recently, South Korea announced plans to inspect Chinese-made cranes at its ports for security vulnerabilities, and the US raised similar concerns about Chinese spy cranes at its ports.
READ: US raises concerns over Chinese ‘spy-cranes’ at ports
China dominates the market for building container cranes, with state-owned Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC) being one of the largest players.
ZPMC is estimated to account for more than 80 per cent of the world’s container crane market.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington called the concerns about cranes “paranoia-driven” and accused the US of trying to obstruct trade and economic cooperation with China.
