The LHM550C cranes are among a fleet of six ordered from Liebherr Werk Nenzing in Austria. They arrived on board the MV Trina vessel. Two more cranes are scheduled to arrive in June with the remaining two cranes arriving in November.
The Durban RORO and Maydon Wharf Terminal handles predominantly break-bulk and RORO* cargo, but has been earmarked to handle some of the 400 000 TEUs of container traffic diverted from Durban Container Terminal (DCT): Pier 2 per annum. This is while berths on DCT: Pier 2’s North Quay undergo deepening and refurbishment over the next 74 months.
The new mobile harbour cranes are among the most flexible container handling solutions. They boast a lifting capacity of 140 tonnes and will enable faster, safer and more space-efficient transportation of containers, as well as improved productivity and container throughput at the terminal. They will be the first to enable TPT to handle 18 container rows across deck through a 54 metre boom. They will also allow TPT to test Liebherr’s new hybrid technology known as Pactronic, which improves load lifting, lowers speeds, and reduces both fuel consumption and gas emissions by 30 percent.
Equipment and maintenance is one aspect of TPT’s six-point plan to handle increased container cargo at Durban RORO and Maydon Wharf Terminal – the other focus points being: human resources, information technology, infrastructure, stakeholder engagement and change management, and planning. Such infrastructure upgrades are also aligned to the Transnet Market Demand Strategy, which will aggressively fast-track capital investment over the next seven years to modernise logistics infrastructure, lower the cost of doing business, improve supply chain efficiencies, create jobs and pursue long term economic growth.
Other equipment on order to boost container handling at Durban RORO and Maydon Wharf Terminal includes reach stackers, haulers and trailers.