Global Ports Investments PLC today announces that additional cranes for handling containerships have been put into operation at Global Ports’ two terminals in Finland - Multi-Link Terminals in Kotka and Helsinki. The equipment was purchased as part of the Global Ports’ ongoing facility upgrade programme. The modernisation of the handling equipment will expand both terminals’ capacities and increase the competitiveness of their offering.
A new Konecranes ship-to-shore (STS) crane has been put into operation at Multi-Link Terminals Helsinki, replacing an older model. The new crane - measuring 40 metres in boom length, 31 metres in height and 70 tonnes in lifting capacity - is custom designed and developed specifically for Multi-Link Terminals and combines the functionality of an STS and an RMG. Such design allows for the accumulation of a shipload under the crane in advance, thereby increasing the speed of vessel handling and reducing overall operating costs, as it reduces the number of equipment and personnel required. The new crane is also capable of handling vessels carrying containers 14 wide on deck.
Looking ahead, the next stage of Multi-Link Terminals’ STS fleet upgrade will be the modernisation of the existing Liebherr crane, when the height will be increased from 21 to 26.5 metres and boom length will be increased from 30 to 32.5 metres. The Liebherr crane upgrade is expected to be completed during October 2020. The crane upgrade programme in Helsinki has been a part of the ‘Door2Lng’ project headed by Containerships – CMA CGM GmbH and co-financed by the European Union from the Connecting Europe Facility.
Multi-Link Terminals in Kotka received two Ansaldo STS cranes relocated from Hamina port, which complement the existing STS and mobile harbour crane (MHC). The cranes both have a capacity of 40 tonnes under the spreader and an outreach of 32 metres and 38 metres respectively, the latter the largest crane in Kotka by outreach. The equipment itself has completed testing and will be put into operation once the systems necessary to put the cranes into operation have completed testing. The operation of these higher capacity cranes will allow the Kotka terminal to handle higher tonnage vessels, carrying up to 14 container rows on deck.