Hutchison Ports BEST terminal in Barcelona has increased its ability to handle the world’s largest container ships by increasing the height of three ship-to-shore gantry cranes at the semi-automated terminal, the company said in its press release.
The move reflects current market trends towards an ever increasing number of 18,000+ TEU vessels with greater stack heights for containers loaded above deck.
BEST is the only terminal in the Mediterranean with 11 cranes capable of handling the largest ships in operation. Its operational capability has been further improved by increasing the height of three of the 11 cranes from 42 metres under spreader to 47 metres. The upgraded cranes allow BEST to accommodate container ships loaded with containers stowed up to 11-high on deck.
With this significant improvement, BEST continues to offer its customers the highest quality service coupled with some of the best productivity rates available anywhere in the world.
BEST guarantees a unique experience for all users of the terminal. It is able to offer fast and efficient loading and unloading of ships of all sizes thanks not only to the largest railway terminal in the Mediterranean, but also to its automated gate and yard systems which reduce the amount of time the haulers spend on the terminal.