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Konecranes delivers 14 ASCs to Hutchison Ports BEST
Konecranes has delivered 14 new automated cranes to Hutchison Ports BEST at the Port of Barcelona, which is seeing a 23.6% boost in container traffic thanks to a surge in transshipments.
Hutchison Ports BEST at the Port of Barcelona, the first semi-automated terminal of the Hutchison Ports Group, has taken delivery of 14 new automated stacking cranes (ASCs) from Finnish supplier Konecranes.
The electric, rail-mounted cranes are set to expand the terminal’s storage capacity by 25%, increasing the number of automated blocks from 27 to 34. The cranes will be assembled and tested over the coming weeks, with the first block expected to be operational by September and the seventh by early 2025.
“This new investment will result in an increase in the terminal’s operational and storage capacity and will contribute to the continuous improvement of the quality of service in both maritime and inland operations,” Guillermo Belcastro, CEO of Hutchison Ports BEST, said.
The delivery to the terminal comes on the back of a previous delivery of six ASCs from Konecranes in 2019.
Hutchison Ports BEST has 13 Super Post-Panamax quay cranes, capable of operating the world’s largest ships, 54 ASCs, 2 cranes at the rail terminal (RMG) and 40 shuttle carriers at the terminal.
Last month, the Port of Barcelona inaugurated its first onshore power supply system (OPS) at Hutchison Ports BEST container terminal. The OPS has been described as the first of its kind for a Mediterranean container terminal, allowing ships to receive 100% renewable electricity.
Port of Barcelona’s container volumes surge
Container traffic at the Port of Barcelona has increased by 23.6% in the first six months of the year, surpassing two million TEU. The increase is largely due to a sharp rise in the number of transshipments handled by container terminals, which have increased by 45% since the start of the year, according to the port data.
The crisis in the Red Sea, which has forced major shipping companies to reroute their vessels to avoid the Suez Canal, is a key factor behind this increase. As a result, the Port of Barcelona has become a crucial hub for connecting ports in the eastern Mediterranean, now more distant from primary maritime routes. This growth has led to a 10.2% increase in total traffic at the Port of Barcelona, reaching 35.8 million tonnes, compared to the first half of the previous year.