A new Paceco España contract with the largest container terminal in Portugal will result in the Spanish crane engineering company producing a 'Portainer Malaccamax' ship to shore (STS) crane that can manage 22,000 TEU vessels.
The crane being built for PSA Sines Terminal XXI will be 133 metres tall, have a top A frame height of nearly 91 metres, a height under spreader of 48 metres, an outreach of 70 metres, and be able to reach the 24th container row of a vessel, making it one of the largest cranes in existence.
Paceco España has started to design and manufacture its Portainer Malaccamax crane — classed as a ‘Super Post-Panamax’ crane due to its outreach being more than that of the 19 to 22 container rows that these types of cranes can achieve.
The terminal’s quay length is 946 metres in length, with an additional 200 metres for a feeder berth, and is currently accommodating a mix of nine Super-Post-Panamax and 'Post-Panamax' quay cranes — able to achieve a 16 to 18 container outreach.
Paceco España has supplied eight of the terminal's cranes, with the last produced by Japanese Paceco Group company Mitsui, Engineering & Shipbuilding (MES).
PSA Sines Terminal XXI has an ongoing development plan that aims to increase its current 2.1 million annual TEU capacity.
The terminal provides a natural depth down to 17 metres which allows the latest generation of container carriers to stop at the terminal while on their intercontinental routes.
Juan Luis Jódar, Sales Manager, Paceco España, said: “Some of our most recent orders have been very challenging for as we’ve had to ensure we get the calculations right to ensure a very good structural behaviour and wheel loads.
“Some of these projects have [required us] to design and manufacture the biggest STS cranes ever manufactured by Paceco España and in the world, with 70 to 72 metre outreach and 48 to 54 metre under spreader.”
