The Durban Container Terminal (DCT) Pier 2 has received components for the first two of four ship-to-shore cranes, each valued at R242-million, State-owned Transnet Port Terminals says.

The cranes will be ready to efficiently handle increased container volumes during this year’s Christmas season. The ship-to-shore cranes load and offload containers on calling vessels and are the single most expensive piece of equipment in terminal operations.

“The South quay has been under immense pressure owing to the limitations of our ageing crane fleet. The arrival of these [heavy machinery manufacturer] Liebherr cranes marks a major step forward in restoring reliability, boosting productivity, and ensuring we meet the evolving demands of global trade,” says Durban Terminals managing executive Earle Peters.

DCT Pier 2 has been renewing its fleet with state-of-the-art cargo handling equipment to ensure an improved service for its customers, with long–term contracts in place for the acquisition and maintenance of terminal equipment, he says.

The new cranes will replace the old cranes that have been in operation for over two decades, with the first two ship-to-shore cranes planned to be operational in October and the other two in November.

Each crane boasts a 65 t twin-lift capacity, with a seaside rail outreach of 65 m to the centre of the spreader. The lifting height above the quayside is an impressive 43 m.

Additionally, the cranes have been engineered with an offset landside bogie, allowing for adaptability from the current 28.5 m rail gauge to a 30.48 m rail gauge, facilitating possible relocation to other berths in the future, Peters noted.

Further, DCT Pier 2 recently took delivery of 20 straddle carriers, 40 haulers and 22 forklifts, 26 trailers and two reach stackers, all of which have been handed over to support ongoing operations and improve cargo handling capacity.

Over the past 18 months, a total investment of about R1.5-billion has been spent in equipment replacements at the country’s biggest and largest container facility in a bid to unlock trade and ensure South Africa’s competitiveness globally, he says.