DP World adds a new stacking crane module at its terminal in Antwerp and completes the third phase of a €200 million-investment plan, according to the company's release.
The end-to-end supply chain solutions provider commissioned new cranes and equipment in Antwerp this year; three quay cranes to load and unload ships, six automatic stacking cranes and 9 hybrid straddle carriers (container lifts). This new infrastructure is part of a six-year investment plan for modernisation, decarbonisation and expansion of the Antwerp Gateway Terminal at the Deurganckdok area in the Port of Antwerp.
In 2026, DP World will be able to stack nearly 1 million additional containers on the same surface area, using 100% green energy and emission-reducing technology - thanks to these investments.
The €200-million green investment and improvement plan – supported by the European Union – will continue next year under the leadership of incoming CEO Nawaf Abdulla. During this phase, two final new ZPMC cranes will be shipped to the port of Antwerp from Changxing, China and will arrive in summer 2024. This will bring the final number of quay cranes on the DP World quay at the Deurganckdock to 15. Another 24 automatic stacking cranes will also be added, 8 of which will be constructed next year.
These investments follow the terminal’s recent introduction of other efficiency and security-boosting services, such as an app for truck drivers and fingerprint scanning technology for container collection.
Automatic stacking cranes create extra capacity as they can stack containers higher and closer together than traditional straddle carriers, an advantage for terminals in a port with capacity constraints. In addition to the convenience they offer, the cranes also operate on 100% electricity. As the only terminal with this technology, using 85% locally generated electricity, Antwerp Gateway is the greenest terminal in the port of Antwerp. Electrification and decarbonisation of operations allowed the port to cut its CO2 emissions per container movement by half in just eight years, ensuring that it plays its part in DP World’s ultimate goal of becoming net zero by 2050.