The largest deep-sea container terminal in Gdansk, Poland has announced it will start construction for their second terminal in the second half of 2014 with a completion date of 2016.

The new terminal will add 1 million TEU to the current annual capacity of 1.5 million TEU. Costs for the second terminal are around EURO 300 million and will help to overcome capacity constraints at the terminal, which in turn will help to expand the client base of DCT Gdansk.

The project’s transition impact stems from increased competition through the extension of the most competitive infrastructure gateway for inter-continental deep-sea container traffic to Poland and the region. The expansion project will not only increase the capacity for deep-sea containers, but will also lead to the extension of competitive trans-shipment market.

DCT operates Poland’s largest and most modern container terminal. In 2004 the Company started the construction of the first deep water container terminal in Poland, which has a capacity of 1.5 million TEU. The world’s largest container ship, the Maersk McKinney-Moller, began regular calls to DCT Gdansk in August 2013. As a result the terminal is now fully operational running at nearly full capacity, which leads to the decision to increase its handling facility.

Konecranes will unveil their next generation Lift Trucks at 11am on 20th Ma and will celebrate with customers the following evening on 21st May, also at their stand D29 in Hall 27.”Konecranes strives to continuously innovate. We are once again thrilled to present the next-generation in lift trucks, and look forward to seeing many of ourpartners and customers at the launch,” says Lars Fredin, Vice-President and Head of Business Unit Lift Trucks, Konecranes.

The change to Navis N4 is part of Yilport’s modernisation and development program for YILPORT Gemport and Gemlik. YILPORT has already centralized its vessel planning, berth management, and logistics operations. Soon the organization will open the new Gemlik terminal which includes the commissioning of four new MES cranes from Japan that are capable of working 18,000 TEU vessels with an anticipated baseline productivity of 35 moves per hour, per crane.   Phase One capacity will be 1m TEU and subsequent phases exceeding 2m TEU.

According to Omer ARTUK, CTO of YILPORT Holding, “the migration from the home-grown terminal operating system to Navis N4 was performed solely by YILPORT employees. In simplest terms, Navis provided the software and we did the rest.” The newly commissioned system immediately received a stress test as the terminal handled record cargo volumes immediately following the weekend transition. For April, Gemport container volumes were nearly 40,000 TEU with an all-time record of 50 container vessel calls.

“YILPORT has standardized on Navis and will now look to deploy the APS crane and gate OCR systems as a part of the terminal modernization program. Additional technologies to be deployed include the Bromma weight sensors, web portals for e-commerce, power and equipment monitoring systems, and an intense focus on integration with our customers,” states Sean R. Pierce, CEO of YILPORT Holding.    

The YILPORT Gemlik port complex will also serve as the hub for customer and technical support for the YILPORT portfolio of companies.  Mr. Pierce also stated “the YILPORT brand is built upon quality and providing the best customer service. We are now focused on creating the YILPORT Global Support Center that will be in the newly constructed administration building in Gemlik. Our highly-trained support technicians will monitor and provide assistance for all equipment and technologies which further supports the one-stop-shopping value proposition for YILPORT.”

A purchasing association of Algerian port operators has opted for 20 Liebherr mobile harbour cranes (LHM).

The purchasing association consists of seven Algerian port companies, which decided to invest in innovative and high-quality port equipment. The mobile harbour cranes will be delivered to various destinations at the Algerian coast, which are Algiers, Annaba, Béjaia, Ghazaouet, Mostaganem, Oran and Skikda. The tasks of this impressive and highly efficient mobile harbour crane fleet will include the handling of general cargo, dry bulk operation and container handling. All of the 20 LHMs will be operational in 2014.

“Liebherr turned out to be the best supplier for us. Short delivery times, local staff and state-of-the-art equipment convinced us. Moreover, Liebherr had the right solution at hand for each port operator involved in this large order,” said a representative manager of the Algerian purchasing association.

Preferred choice of the Algerian ports involved is the LHM 280 model. Eleven units of this type will be delivered and each of above-mentioned ports will soon operate at least one LHM 280. This mobile harbour crane model is well-proven across the globe with deliveries to more than 25 countries.

Two ports will add even more capacity to their operation, opting for Liebherr’s newest model, type LHM 420. Introduced in 2011, the LHM 420 model is the successor of the LHM 400, which represents the most successful LHM with 250 units sold worldwide. Entreprise Portuaire de Skikda has ordered two LHM 420s and another unit of this series will soon start operation for Entreprise Portuaire de Béjaia.

Moreover, Entreprise Portuaire d’Oran has opted for four LHM 120s and will soon operate a total fleet of six Liebherr mobile harbour cranes, designed for state-of-the-art cargo handling. Entreprise Portuaire d’Annaba has ordered two additional LHM 120s which will work side-by-side with the new LHM 280.

“Due to this huge investment in advanced port equipment, Algerian ports will significantly increase their competitiveness in the maritime industry, ensure smooth flow of cargo and are well-prepared for future challenges,” the representative manager added.

“We succeeded in a number of comprehensive tenders in the past, but this order is really unique. It underlines the current market situation, which is treating us very well. We look forward to a great 2014 year,” said Matthias Mungenast, Sales Director for Liebherr mobile harbour cranes.

Liebherr started business in Algeria more than 35 years ago. In 2012, an important milestone was the establishment of a joint-venture with the Algerian public company SOMATEL, a daughter company of ENMTP, which included the installation of a factory in Ain Smara, Constantine. The production site in eastern Algeria manufactures earthmoving equipment, like excavators and bulldozers.

Liebherr mobile harbour cranes also have a long tradition in Algeria, with the first units delivered almost 20 years ago. Thanks to this large mobile harbour crane order, the total number of LHMs delivered to Algeria nearly doubles and jumps to 43.

Based in Algiers and Hassi Messaoud, Liebherr Algérie currently employs a work force of close to 180 people in order to ensure best service for its customers. Additionally, the Liebherr branch provides a significant spare parts stock and highly skilled technicians, allowing for quick response times in Northern Africa. Generally speaking, the strong and well-structured global service network is an important argument for many customers to opt for Liebherr mobile harbour cranes.