The Port Elizabeth harbour’s container-handling capacity has been increased following the relocation of two multimillion-rand ship-to-shore cranes, manufactured by IMPSA, from the Durban harbour.
The IMPSA cranes arrived fully assembled from Durban and will be used to move 20-foot and 40-foot shipping containers after being commissioned this month.
The cranes were manufactured and assembled in Durban seven years ago and commissioned into service at the Durban harbour at the end of 2005.
Transnet Port Terminals Eastern Cape GM Siya Mhlaluka explained that the relocation of the cranes formed part of Transnet’s programme to boost handling operations at local ports over the next few years.
“These two cranes will serve as major assets for cargo operations in the Eastern Cape, while Durban has received several multimillion-rand crane investments as part of Transnet’s Market Demand Strategy (MDS),” he said.
Transnet’s MDS is a seven-year capital expenditure programme worth R300-billion, of which R86.6-billion is allocated to port development.