The Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) has taken delivery of four new hybrid straddle carriers.

The R96-million investment forms part of Transnet Port Terminal’s (TPT’s) equipment replacement programme to work towards the full recovery of its terminal operations. 

Straddle carriers are specialised cargo-handling equipment that lift, move and stack shipping containers.

The new equipment, which operates on diesel and electric power, will require the installation of in-cab computers with software that provides operators with real-time instructions and cargo tracking, before their hand-over to the operations team in July.

The Cape Town terminal is also completing operator conversion training, which aims to ensure that employees are able to maximise use of the new equipment.

“The diesel engine charges onboard batteries and, once fully charged, the units switch to electric mode,” says Cape Terminals managing executive Earle Peters.

“This technology reduces fuel consumption, lowers emissions and decreases noise levels, while maintaining the operational performance required in a busy container terminal environment.”

Peters says the new equipment will support daily operations across the terminal, while also giving operational teams greater flexibility in managing container movements.

Predominantly a rubber-tyred gantry crane (RTG) operation, the CTCT is transitioning into a hybrid operation that uses both straddle carriers and RTGs.

TPT says the CTCT has improved on its productivity and yearly volume performance as a result of the injection of new equipment – but does not provide any details – despite wind, fog and vessel ranging delays accounting for 74.15 days of weather disruption for the 12-month period ended March 31.

TPT has invested R9-billion over the last three years on new cargo-handling equipment across its 15 terminals nationally.

Capital investments in the current financial year include new straddle carriers and empty container handlers for the Cape Town and Port Elizabeth container terminals; RTG cranes for Durban Container Terminal Pier 1; reach stackers for the multipurpose terminals; and haulers for the Richards Bay operations.