Turkish port operator Safiport Derince has taken delivery of the first six of 12 fully electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes as it pushes ahead with a plan to double annual container capacity at its Derince terminal in Turkey to 1.5m TEU, according to Safiport.
The six new-generation RTGs arrived aboard MV XIANG FU on 28 August. Delivery of all 12 units will take Safiport’s RTG fleet to 25 cranes.
The investment follows the arrival in August of four new ship-to-shore cranes, doubling the terminal’s STS fleet to eight. The new cranes have an outreach of 65.5 metres and a lifting capacity of 65 tonnes under the spreader.
The additional STS units increase the terminal’s capability from handling ships 23 container rows wide to vessels with 24 rows.
Safiport is also extending its main container quay from 700 metres to 1,200 metres. Total berth length is targeted to reach 2.5 km when the investment programme is completed, while the terminal has a water depth of 18 metres.
Annual container capacity is planned to rise from 750,000 TEU in 2026 to 1.5m TEU in 2027.
Safiport’s second-phase development plan also targets annual capacity of 1m vehicles at the ro-ro terminal, 1m cubic metres at the liquid chemical terminal and 10m tonnes of solid bulk cargo. Safiport Derince is operated by Safi Derince Uluslararası Liman İşletmeciliği A.Ş., part of Turkish corporate group Safi Holding. The company secured 39-year operating rights to Derince Port and began operations on 2 March 2015 after a $543m payment to Turkey’s privatisation authority. Safi Holding has activities in energy, maritime services, port operations, real estate and food.