CTCT takes delivery of new cranes

The Port Liaison Forum (PLF) has welcomed the delivery of two new ship-to-shore cranes, to the Port of Cape Town, three months ahead of schedule. The two cranes were delivered to the Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) last week and are currently in the process of being erected along the quayside. The port now has eight ship-to-shore cranes. According to a spokesman for the port the two new cranes are a newer version of the existing six cranes. Slightly higher, they will be able to work across 24 containers on vessels and not just 19 containers as the present cranes do. “It made more economic sense to bring in the newer generation cranes than to bring in the sister cranes of the version we already have in the port,” said the spokesman. The PLF said the cranes were only expected to be delivered in July this year. This would see the port improve on efficiency and it was a move in the right direction, added PLF. Seven of the cranes will be operational at any given time, while one will be dormant. It is not known when the erection process will be completed, but port officials are working hard at assembling the new infrastructure. The training of the crane operators for the two new cranes already commenced in October last year. The port also received four new straddle carriers last week. The PLF, an initiative of the Cape Chamber of Commerce that monitors the port and its operations closely, said this would allow the port to perform better in higher wind conditions.