15-Jun-2001

The Port of Felixstowe has taken delivery of a further four Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGs) for its Trinity Terminal. The new cranes, manufactured by Fantuzzi Reggiane in Sicily, will be capable of stacking containers one over five high, and straddling seven wide plus a roadway.

The four are part of a total order of eight RTGs, the remainder to arrive in July. They follow an order for ten RTGs and two Ship-to-Shore Gantry Cranes (SSGCs) placed with ZPMC of Shanghai in September 2000. The new equipment will bring the total number of RTGs at the Port to ninety two, and SSGCs to twenty five.

The new 16 wheel machines will replace four four-wheel Paceco machines at the southern end of Trinity Terminal, which is being redeveloped. The resulting increase in stacking height, from three to five containers, will boost the Terminal capacity by 60,000 TEUs per annum.

The RTGs are fitted with AC drive engineering supplied by Noell based on Siemens inverters, and are powered by Caterpillar diesel engines. Each machine weighs 152 tonnes (including spreader attachment), and is capable of a maximum container load of 40 tonnes.

The cranes will play a vital role in the future of the Port, which has applied for permission to extend the quay at Trinity Terminal by a further 270 metres. Subject to receiving approval, the new quay will be operational in 2003, boosting the capacity of the UK’s largest container port by 500,000 TEUs to well over 3 million TEUs per annum.