Major boost for Durban port efficiency

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  • Transnet unveil seven STS cranes at the Durban Container Terminal – Pier 2

Public enterprises minister, Malusi Gigaba today unveiled Transnet’s seven new state-of-the-art ship-to-shore (STS) cranes at the Durban Container Terminal – Pier 2.

The cranes, supplied by China-based ZPMC, following a competitive tender process in 2011 are part of Transnet Port Terminals’ accelerated crane fleet acquisition programme targeted at replacing its ageing fleet.

Six of the seven cranes have been handed over to operations with the remaining crane handed over today.

Minister Gigaba said that the new equipment can simultaneously handle two 12-metre containers or four six-metre containers and lift up to a maximum of 80 tonnes. The STS cranes, the largest in Africa, can handle new generation vessels with 24 containers stowed across the deck.

“These capabilities will see a massive jump in productivity with gross crane moves per hour (GCH) – a key measure of terminal efficiency and how well equipment is used – jumping from the current 26 to 33 GCH over the next three years. This is a 27 percent improvement,” said Gigaba.

“Ship working hour (SWH), the rate at which a terminal is able to load and offload container ships in an hour and a key consideration for our customers, will improve from the current 68 containers to 85 once our operators are fully conversant with operating the equipment and newer generation vessels with larger parcel sizes call to our ports – that will be a 25 percent increase.”

The cranes are part of Transnet’s rolling R300 billion seven year investment programme – the Market Demand Strategy. Over the next 20 years, Transnet Port Terminals, which currently operates 45 cranes in seven ports across the country, will buy 39 new ship-to-shore cranes.

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