New cranes commissioned for Immingham’s bulk terminal

ABP says it has commissioned crane manufacturers, Kocks Ardelt Kranbau, to supply three new high-capacity grabbing cranes for the Immingham Bulk Terminal (IBT).

IBT handles raw material imports for British Steel. The operations were taken over by ABP from British Steel in November 2018. The crane purchase is part of the previously announced £65 million investment, committed by ABP to the terminal and site facilities.

The investment will help to support the long-term future of steel manufacturing in the Humber region. 

Martin Downey, Head of Immingham Bulk Terminal said: “Within six months of taking over the operations at IBT, we’ve made significant improvements to the site. We’re keen to improve our handling rate and these cranes will enable us to do just that.” 

The new Ardelt cranes, Tukan K, model 3000 – 50, will provide a grabbing capacity of 50 tonnes at 50m radius. The cranes have been ordered to replace the existing ship unloaders and are expected to provide a step-change in capability. The Tukan Ks will handle in excess of 6 million tonnes of iron ore and coals each year.

The Ardelt Tukan K was selected as it provides a cost-effective solution in addition to high performance, design classification and energy efficiency, along with the benefit of local support provided through the UK office of Kocks Ardelt Kranbau.

In addition, the Tukan K has its hopper built into its structure allowing a linear load path – the most efficient of any jib crane, ensuring the shortest possible cycle time and energy curve.

The bespoke cranes are anticipated to be complete and online by the end of 2020.