New gantries push up Maputo handling capacity

Maputo’s container handling capacity has been boosted to 200 000 teus a year by the addition of two mobile gantries capable of handling post-Panamaxsized vessels, according to Pedro Pena, operations manager for the MIPS container terminal. “With the two new cranes we can handle two berths at the same time,” he told FTW. The gantries can lift up to 100 000 tons – or 47 tons off the 13th row on a post-Panamax vessel. They are capable of 22 moves an hour – up from the present average of 11 moves per hour. MIPS has invested in the cranes to cater for present and mid-term growth. Pena says Maputo expects to handle 100 000 containers in 2008 – up from 80 000 in 2007. “This will be our second consecutive year of 30% growth, and the growth pattern is set to continue,” he says. Imports have grown by 19%, and transit cargo by 90%. The transit cargo is mainly exports of minerals, sugar, paper and steel. Increased demand has seen the introduction of new services. There are now six regular services per month – OACL offers a weekly service for the Southern African coast; MSC an international service every 10 days; MACS a monthly service to Europe; Messina a fortnightly service to the Red Sea, East Africa and the Mediterranean; MOL a weekly Asian service, and Delmas a fortnightly Asian service. “Three shipping lines have started offering direct services to the Far East in the last two years,” he says. Others are expected to follow suit.