Kalmar secures biggest ever ship-to-shore
crane order in Europe
MSC Home Terminal, Antwerp orders ten super post-Panamax cranes
Kalmar has received an order for ten super post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes from MSC Home Terminal, Antwerp, a joint venture between Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Hesse-Noord Natie NV. With an outreach of 56 metres, these high-speed, heavy-duty cranes will be capable of handling ships over 20 containers wide. Once the first crane becomes operational in November 2004, MSC Home Terminal will take delivery of the remaining nine at a rate of one every four weeks.
This latest order will boost capacity for Hesse-Noord Natie, which was acquired by PSA Corporation Ltd in 2002 and handled 4.3m TEU in that year. The PSA group has 13 terminal locations in eight countries around the world, including Belgium, Brunei, China, India, Italy, Korea, Portugal, Yemen and Singapore, and handled 24.5m TEU in 2002.
Hesse-Noord Natie partner in Home Terminal Antwerp, MSC, is one of the biggest global container shipping lines. Founded in 1970 and based in Geneva, MSC operates a fleet of more than 200 vessels with a total capacity of over 500,000 TEU.
Rene Kleiss, Vice-President, Kalmar Ship-to-Shore Cranes, comments on the recent order:
“We are delighted that a world-class terminal such as MSC Home Terminal has chosen to increase its already significant fleet of Kalmar ship-to-shore cranes. This latest order, which will bring to 24 the number of cranes in operation at the Antwerp facility, pays testament to the calibre of Kalmar engineering.
“Kalmar cranes have proven to be reliable, low-maintenance workhorses. Their exceptional quality and efficiency, combined with Kalmar reputation for delivering quickly and within agreed time frames, helped swing this latest order in Kalmar favour.
After concluding a strategic alliance with Dutch steel manufacturer Hollandia, Kalmar production capacity has increased significantly, enabling the manufacturer to handle such a significant order and still have plenty of capacity to take on other projects.
The super post-Panamax cranes to be delivered to Home Terminal will incorporate Kalmar latest ship-to-shore crane technology and design, successfully introduced at Uniport Rotterdam and the Port of Rouen. Kalmar and Siemens have established a consortium for this project, with the electrical installation being provided by Siemens Brussels.
The main parameters of Kalmar's new ship-to-shore crane design are:
Safe working load on the ropes / under spreader80/65tonnes
Outreach 56metres
Railspan 30metres
Backreach 25metres
Hoisting height35metres
Hoisting depth21metres
Hoisting speed rated load/empty spreader90/180 metres/ minute
Trolley travelling speed240 metres / minute
Gantry travelling speed 45metres / minute
The merits of Kalmar latest ship-to-shore crane design are, in a nutshell:
Extremely stiff crane structure by the use of a double box girder and the so-called delta forestay which provides continuous support over the greatest length of the boom.
Designed for eccentric loads, which applies when handling twin lift.
Simplified rope support system, offering a longer rope lifetime and allowing the use of ‘normal ropes’.
Full rope trolley for maximum speed and acceleration and safe performance
during the most harsh weather conditions (no risk of wheels slipping during rain or on ice.)
Minimal maintenance with all components under one roof, allowing inspections and maintenance without interruption of terminal operations.
Notes to editors:
Press information can be found on Kalmar website www.kalmarind.com. Simply click on News Room to be taken to a list of recent press releases or on Press Pictures to be taken to the Kalmar photo gallery. The captions for the images read:
An artist 3D impression of one of the Kalmar ship-to-shore cranes to be delivered to MSC Home Terminal, Antwerp.
“An artist 3D impression of the ten Kalmar ship-to-shore cranes in service at MSC Home Terminal, Antwerp.
Kalmar is a global provider of heavy duty materials handling equipment and services to ports, intermodal traffic, terminals and demanding industrial customers. Kalmar focuses on supplying handling solutions that enable customers to operate with a high level of efficiency and reliability. Every fourth container or trailer transfer at terminals around the world is handled by a Kalmar machine. Kalmar provides a large range of value added services such as maintenance contracts and fleet management. Manufacturing plants are situated in Sweden (as is the head office), in Finland, the Netherlands, Estonia, Malaysia, China and the USA.
For further information:
Kees Derks, Sales Manager STS
kees.derks@kalmarind.com
Aija Kalander, Communications Manager
aija.kalander@kalmarind.com