The Port of Cork today announced that it has taken delivery of two Liebherr post-panamax size ship-to-shore (STS) container gantry cranes at the Cork Container Terminal in the Republic of Ireland. The assembly process has commenced on site and is due to be completed in the coming weeks, the company said in its release.
The Port of Cork is the second largest port in the Republic of Ireland in terms of turnover. In 2019 the Port of Cork handled total container traffic of 240,000 TEU. Thanks in part to the new Liebherr STS cranes, this is expected to increase by more than 37% to approximately 330,000 TEU over the next decade at Cork Container Terminal.
Henry Kingston, Port Engineering Manager of the Port of Cork, said, “Liebherr Container Cranes in Killarney have been working with the Port of Cork for more than 50 years, and their port cranes, ship-to-shore container cranes, and rubber tyre gantry cranes (RTG) have been integral to making us the most seamless trade gateway in Ireland. Our first-hand experience of the top quality of Liebherr products and the first class after-sales service back were key factors influencing the decision to choose Liebherr for this project. In 2012, the Port of Cork and Liebherr collaborated in pioneering the very first fully electrically powered E-RTG crane in Ireland which has proven to be super reliable, as well as environmentally best in class.”
CCT will soon become a major enabler of growth for Cork city and Munster as well as the national economy. The funding for this development has come from Allied Irish Banks plc (AIB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISFI), European Connecting Europe Facility Funds as well as self-finance, and these STS cranes will be core contributors to CCT’s growth in the 2020s and beyond.
The cranes were built less than 100 kilometres from Cork in Killarney, County Kerry, and are being assembled by local crane erection specialists William O’Brien Group., under the supervision of expert Liebherr engineers. Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd. is part of the Liebherr group and supplies container handling equipment to ports and rail terminals worldwide.
The contract was awarded to Liebherr in 2018 after a public tender process, and the opening of CCT later this year will deliver the fastest, most reliable, and cost-efficient container service available to local businesses as well as Ireland’s international exporters.
Construction on CCT began in June 2019 and will finish in 2020. The €80m project will initially offer a 360-metre-long quay with a 13-metre depth alongside. The development also includes the construction of a 13.5-hectare terminal and associated buildings.
ABOUT PORT OF CORK
The Port of Cork is the key seaport in the south of Ireland and is one of only two Irish ports which service the requirements of all six shipping modes i.e. Lift-on Lift-off, Roll-on Roll-off, Liquid Bulk, Dry Bulk, Break Bulk and Cruise. The port has made impressive strides in recent decades. Since 2000, the Port of Cork has invested €72 million in improving Port infrastructure and facilities. Due to its favourable location on the south coast of Ireland and its modern deepwater facilities, the Port of Cork is ideally positioned for additional European trading as well as for yet unexploited direct deep sea shipping services.