ZPMC on STS crane delivery trail

ZPMC, China’s leading crane manufacturer, has unveiled a flurry of quay crane deliveries destined for terminal operators worldwide.

Last week the company said that its three vessels, including Zhenhua 36, Zhenhua 27, and Zhenhua 35, have shipped a combined total of 11 quay cranes to prominent ports across various continents.

Four quay cranes have been ordered by Dubai-based ports and logistics major DP World. Two of these colossal cranes recently made their arrival at London Gateway, while an additional two were delivered to DP World Antwerp Gateway. Weighing more than 2,000 tonnes, the cranes have a lifting height of 56 meters, an outreach of 73 meters, and a backreach of 30 meters. They are designed to handle the world’s largest vessels, including 24,000 TEU container ships and beyond.

Read more: DP World welcomes ‘Europe’s largest’ quay cranes

Salalah Port in Oman has confirmed the arrival of two new quay cranes as the second delivery in an order of 10 units. The new cranes have a 75m outreach and a lifting height of 58m above the rail.

Managed by Maersk’s APM Terminals under a 30-year concession agreement with the Omani government, the port has seen significant investment in infrastructure, including the recent purchase of 10 STS cranes from ZPMC, as part of a US$300 million container terminal upgrade and expansion project.

The first delivery of four cranes arrived in February 2024, and the latest delivery this week brings the total delivered to six. The remaining cranes are expected to be delivered in the second quarter of the year, as previously announced by APMT. Replacing four older and smaller cranes, the 10 new cranes are set to increase the number of ship-to-shore cranes at the terminal to 27.

In addition to the new ship-to-shore cranes, planned new equipment includes 12 electric RTGs, two reach stackers, three electric empty container handlers and 30 trucks and trailers.

Once the expansion project is completed in the first quarter of 2025, annual capacity at the terminal will increase from 5 million to 6 million TEU.

In Sri Lanka, ZPMC will deliver three cranes to Colombo East Container Terminal (ECT). The delivery will complement the three units delivered to the terminal in February this year as Colombo braces for heightened cargo volumes amid the ongoing Red Sea crisis. The delivery is part of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority’s US$ 282 million investment comprising 12 STS cranes and 40 ARMGs from ZPMC intended for ECT’s second development stage set to be completed by the end of 2025.

Read more: Red Sea disruptions boost Colombo’s transhipment volumes

Phase II will see the quayline extended from its existing length of 420m to 1,320m, along with the development of 75 acres of container yard to increase Colombo’s annual handling capacity to 14M TEU.

Finally, ZMPC said that another batch of two cranes is earmarked for deployment at India’s Adani Vizhinjam Port, and two ship-to-shore cranes are slated for delivery to Turkey’s Izmir Port.