The choice for a different erection site due to the lack of erection space forced the company to opt for a different approach to the task at hand – the cranes needed to be transported by sea to their final destination following the erection. The calculations necessary for this delicate job were handled by Portunus and Liebherr technicians who brought the idea of manufacturing additional carrier beams of 28 meters length and weighing 45 tons each to mount the cranes upon the Self Propelled Modular Transporters.

The disassembled STS units were brought to Derince Port which is ideally located as the distance was approximately 10 km. With the arrival of the Crane parts Portunus team, comprised of 34 engineers and technicians, started the assembly of the cranes. The cranes were erected consecutively in 72 & 63 days.

With the green light from the weather forecasters the second phase of the operation began with the mounting of the STS cranes to the biggest barge available in Turkey. It was the tallest structure ever carried with a barge by a Turkish Company in Turkish waters. Mounted upon the SPMT hydraulic axles the towering cranes were pulled slowly by tugboats to their final destinations. Each ferry took 3.5 hours while the loading, lashing, unloading and unlashing took 25 hours for each crane.

Now the cranes are ready for commissioning at their final destination, the amphibious mission is completed with hundred percent success by the combined efforts of Liebherr and Portunus.

The two Terex crawler crane models HC 230 and HC 275 were delivered directly to the Port of Paita by ship, and were assembled right away by Ferreyros. The cranes’ short assembly time helped meeting deadlines and increasing productivity.

Apart from being fast to assemble and configure, these versatile machines can be operated offshore on a vessel – which is exactly how they were used on the Port of Paita site. Placing the fully assembled machines on board the vessel was a complex operation but Ferreyros’ experienced crews mastered the challenge without any problems. Once ship borne, the cranes were used in activities such as dredging, placing rocks and stakes (pillars supporting the pier being built). With lifting capacities of more than 200 tons, the Terex HC 230 and HC 275 crawler cranes delivered on their respective tasks swiftly and efficiently. Both machines support continuous operation without compromising safety.

“For us, efficient and reliable equipment means savings in time and money. Downtime because of broken equipment means we are losing capital since we have deadlines to meet”, explained Joshua García, Assistant Equipment Manager with Mota-Engil. The cranes operate 24 hours a day, in two shifts (400 or 500 monthly hours). They work at 85% of their load chart. “This is an additional safety margin we included. We switch operators every shift but the cranes keep on working non-stop”, says Luis López, Mota Engil’ Project Manager for the Paita site.

The importance of a high-quality technical service

To successfully complete such a huge project, the quality of the equipment is just one of the important aspects. It is also necessary to have efficient technical support to ensure high productivity levels at the worksite. With this in mind, Ferreyros – the exclusive Terex representative in Peru – committed itself to keeping the cranes in operation so that they can work at their maximum capacity at all times in order to meet the project’s tight deadlines.

“We all know that Ferreyros is the country’s largest distributor, and we are aware of their customer focus. They try to fully understand our exact needs, and provide us with advice on the selection of equipment. They always have an expert available to assist us, which is the most important for us”, concludes Luís López.

Port Zone

Located in the northern region of Piura, the Paita Port is the second largest port in Peru regarding container movement and the fifth one considering total cargo. The Portuguese engineering and construction group Mota-Engil was awarded permission to operate and modernize the pier for 30 years. The investment cost for the modernization will amount to approximately USD $230 million. Paita’s pier has become one of the most important piers of Peru. The construction activities for the new container terminal began two years ago. State-of-the-art equipment and a modern infrastructure will help the pier develop into one of the focal points for foreign trade development in the region.

The report – which focuses on 2013 – shows seven straight years of steadily declining air pollution from goods movement in the harbor area.

Compared to emissions levels in 2005 — when the Port adopted its Green Port Policy — all of the key air pollutants from port-related sources have declined in 2013. In addition to the drop in diesel emissions, smog-forming nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides have been cut 54 percent and 90 percent respectively. Emissions from Port operations have plunged even as shipping activity has increased slightly, with containerized cargo up 0.3 percent since 2005.

Air pollution reductions are due to the ongoing shift to bigger ships that carry more cargo more efficiently, as well as newer ships with cleaner engines, increased utilization of on-dock rail and shore power, and regulations requiring ships to use cleaner, lower sulfur fuel in their engines. Other efforts, like the Clean Trucks Program, have also helped to cut emissions.

“The Port of Long Beach is able to achieve these reductions through its deep commitment to environmental improvement and sustainability. And we want to bring more zero-emissions technology to the Port and continue to be the world’s greenest seaport,” said Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners President Doug Drummond.

The report released Monday examined data from 2013. The study’s results were reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The annual analysis of air pollution from port sources ? literally an “emissions inventory” ? is conducted to check the Port’s progress in improving air quality.

For the complete emissions inventory, go to www.polb.com/emissions.

The Port of Long Beach is a recognized industry leader in environmental stewardship worldwide. The more than $180 billion in trade flowing through the Port of Long Beach each year creates more than 300,000 jobs in the Southern California region.

Last month, ISS Tanzania acted as port and discharging agents for the carrier, the Zen Hua 21 which was carrying two SSG (Ship to Shore Gantry) and seven RTG (Rubber-Tyred Gantry) cranes for the Tanzania International Container Terminal.

The arrival of these cranes is a major step forward in the ongoing development of the Port of Dar es Salaam where the Port Authority will add two additional berths to the container terminal in its ambitious expansion programme to transform Dar es Salaam into the regional logistic hub for sub-Saharan Africa. Managing this complex project from the outset, ISS General Manager TS Mahesh commented: “ISS is delighted to be chosen as port and discharging agent for the second time in Tanzania. Having successfully completed a number of similar projects around the world for ZPMC in the Americas, Europe and Africa, ISS has demonstrated a global capability for effectively delivering a wide range of specialist heavy lift projects.”

Caption – Zen Hua 21berthing in Dar es Salaam