Ngqura gets R72m rail crane investment

The ZHEN HUA No.21 vessel which sailed into the Port of Ngqura from China this month delivered equipment and components in excess of R72 million (US$ 8,8 million) in value, all destined for the Ngqura container terminal (NCT) to be launched in October 2009.

The vessel’s massive 720 ton and 3,2616 m3 consignment included two fully erect rail-mounted gantry cranes weighing 660 tons in total, as well as small assembly parts, tools, consumables and breakbulk cargo.

Hector Danisa, Business Unit Executive at Ngqura container terminal, said special clearance had to be sought to bring the cranes in through the port.

“Due to the immense size of the cranes and the fact that they are being delivered virtually assembled, it would have been physically impossible to land at the neighbouring Port Elizabeth harbour and deliver overland. With equipment of this nature, it can only be landed at the terminal at which it will be installed and used,” he said.

Once commissioned the two rail cranes would be used to transfer containers between internal road vehicles and rail wagons at the Ngqura rail terminal.
Danisa said the investment would assist in getting more cargo volumes off the road and onto rail, as well as offering faster, cheaper alternatives to customers.

“The cranes will certainly assist us in meeting NCT’s promised port-rail turnaround of under 6 hours. They offer double the handling rate of reach stackers, which are used in some of our port terminals. Pier 1 in Durban recently received similar cranes and is expecting huge results,” he said.

In a massive logistical effort involving Transnet and a special team of experts from Chinese company, Covec, the cranes were slipped ashore using rails and jacks, with ships gear used for landing other items in the consignment.

They would be slipped to an assembly site in the terminal ahead of their commissioning and are expected to be fully operational by mid June 2009. The cranes were manufactured by the Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Company (ZPMC).

(Source: Transport Weekly)