The cranes arriving at the port
Ashdod Port has purchased five more semi-automatic ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, representing an investment of NIS208m (US$62m), as part of the port’s investment in the renovation and upgrade of pier 21.
The ZENHUA38 cranes are produced by Chinese manufacturer ZPMC, one of the world’s leading manufacturers, and have the capability to work with mega ships with a capacity of 24,000 teu.
Shiko Janna, CEO of the Port of Ashdod, said: “The Port of Ashdod is constantly working to alleviate congestion created resulting from the global supply chain crisis that has disrupted the operation of the world’s major ports since the outbreak of the corona pandemic.
“The STS cranes, along with many other efforts, will help us reduce operational queues and promote technological improvements and faster and more efficient management.”
Ashdod Port will use the cranes, which are expected to be fully operational by September, to handle non-standard and unusual cargo.
The cranes are 140.6 m high in the raised arm position and the marine arm length of the crane is 71 m.
They are adapted to work with 62 m wide ships that carry about 24 rows of containers and are capable of lifting exceptional loads with a total weight of up to 95 tonnes using a dedicated hook.
Each of the cranes includes a tandem lifting device that allows for the removal of two full 40-ft containers with a total weight of 80 tonnes.
Additionally, the cranes include an option to be operated remotely from a control room using advanced camera and laser systems installed on the crane, and the option to operate semi-automatically when receiving commands directly from the terminal operating system (TOS).
This enables the crane to carry out container related operations on a ship using the TOS system, whilst under the supervision of a crane operator.
