New Post-Panamax Container Cranes are Largest at Any Baltic Port

SWEDEN – CHINA – The development of the container facilities at the new Stockholm Norvik Port, to be run by Hutchison Ports, are certainly proving lucrative for materials handling supplier Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC). In February we saw two of the state run Chinese company's straddle carriers arrive, preceded by two new super-post-Panamax cranes the previous month.

Now the latest tranche of equipment, which consisted of two even larger super-post-Panamax cranes, has now been moved to their locations at the port. These arrived on March 18 and like their siblings, were built in Shanghai in China. The electrical and control systems were supplied by ABB in Sweden and the units are particularly versatile being close to the major fairways and thus providing a good range of options for onward transport by haulage vehicle, train or barge.

As previously, the vessel carrying the fully assembled cranes from China, in this case the Zhen Hua 32, adjusted its ballast tanks on arrival to adjust the deck height to the same height as the quayside. Each 2,000 tonne crane was then winched ashore on temporary tracks leading from the vessel. The cranes are now being made ready for operation when Stockholm Norvik Port opens in May.

The cranes each measure 120 metres tall at their maximum height setting and have a lifting capacity of just over 80 tonnes. The cranes can straddle a width of 22 containers and can serve the largest vessels of the world without any height restrictions. The cranes will be operated remotely from a control centre in the port´s main building, with no operator on the cranes themselves and 80% of the lifting will be automated. Johan Wallén, Director of Sales and Marketing at Ports of Stockholm, said:

“The super-post-Panamax cranes are the largest on the Swedish east coast and they are adapted to handle the largest container vessels operating in the Baltic Sea.”