The Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy says the new ship-to-shore crane at the Port Elizabeth container terminal will enhance operational efficiency and competitiveness in an increasingly interconnected global economy.
Creecy was speaking during the launch of the crane, which is part of a R3 billion fleet renewal programme investment, to boost equipment availability and operational effectiveness at the countrys container terminals.
The cranes can swiftly and accurately transfer containers from ship to shore and vice versa. The speed and precision of modern cranes minimise the time ships spend docked at the port, allowing for faster turnaround times and increasing the overall throughput of the port.
One of the main environmental benefits of using these type of cranes, is the reduction in emissions.
Once you have new equipment that is not subject to breakdown, you can dramatically improve your productivity. You can get closer to our standard which is 30 gross train moves per hour, you can also in situations where we have brought in new straddles and new rtgs, you can improve productivity and I think a lot of the current delays really relate to the fact that, the equipment is old and so there has to be ongoing maintenance work that is done, explains the minister.
