Ngqura gantry operators could have been warming up for the Olympics when they set new records while working on the MSC Sola, the biggest vessel to call on South Africa to date. In Ngqura, a consignment of 5 408 mainly transhipment containers was the biggest single load to be handled from any vessel calling at the terminal. It comprised 1 872 import and 3 536 export containers. Terminal executive for the Eastern Cape terminals, Siya Mhlaluka, said two of the eight-strong fleet of Liebherr ship-to-shore cranes had only recently been procured and commissioned to cater for the projected growth in volumes through the port. With six cranes in use on the first and second days, quayside operators achieved a record breaking Ship Working Hour (SWH) rate of 153 SWH on day one and 121 on day two. Two cranes were then transferred to another vessel on day three. The terminal had its work cut out for it in the final days before the vessel’s departure from the port, when strong winds affected container handling productivity, according to Mhlaluka. CAPTION: The new Liebherr Super Post Panamax ship-to-shore cranes are helping Ngqura achieve records.
