First equipment brings relief to Ngqura port maintenance

19th June 2018 By: Simone Liedtke - Creamer Media Social Media Editor & Senior Writer

First equipment brings relief to Ngqura port maintenance

The Port of Ngqura, located in Port Elizabeth, has received its first piece of maintenance equipment since the port became operational in 2009.

Valued at about R1.8-million, a crane truck was specifically modified to meet the port’s unique requirements.

Ngqura deputy port engineer Tauqeer Ahmed explains that it was adapted to have a winch and cable attached to the end of the crane’s boom so that tyre fenders that fall into the water can be fished out.

The total depth of the seabed from the top of the quay wall could be up to about 23 m at the deepest point.

The crane truck will be able to fish out any tyre fenders from this depth, Ahmed notes, dubbing it a “giant fishing rod”.

With a lifting capacity of 10 t and the ability to load and transport a 6 m container, the crane truck will mainly be used for maintenance of port infrastructure such as the automated mooring system, the sand bypass, quay walls and tyre and element fenders on the quay wall.

It will also be used to transport equipment and maintenance material.

The ultimate benefit of the crane truck, Ahmed highlights, will be to improve maintenance turnaround time and to save on the cost of hiring of equipment, which is also not always readily available.

A unique feature on the truck is a UD online Telematix service contract that monitors and maximises performance.

It allows the port staff to monitor, besides others, the truck’s location, fuel consumption, working hours and service intervals.

The contract was awarded to Billson Trucking Port Elizabeth, who managed the modification locally.

The truck and crane have different manufacturers – UD manufactured the truck, FASSI manufactured the crane and Rencor Engineering and Hydraulics installed the crane onto the truck.