Kalmar to Stretch STS Cranes in Valencia

Finnish port automation solutions provider Kalmar has announced a contract to heighten and extend the handling capabilities of eight ship-to-shore (STS) cranes at MSC Terminal in Valencia, Spain.

The order is the largest ever for Kalmar Crane Upgrades business. All cranes are scheduled to be operational by mid-2017.

MSC Terminal VLC has chosen to upgrade their STS cranes to accommodate larger vessels in anticipation of growth in container movements.

The Paceco cranes are currently limited to a maximum vessel size of 16,000 TEUs. Kalmar will extend the boom on all eight cranes by six metres and heighten six of the cranes by 10 metres, increasing the terminal’s capacity to serve ships carrying up to 19,000 TEU (MSC OSCAR type).

José Ignacio Fernández, Head of Crane Upgrades in Kalmar South EMEA, said, “Upgrading an existing crane’s handling capabilities provides a cost-effective solution for ports and terminals looking to quickly gear up for the continued increases in vessel size. Kalmar Crane Upgrades Competence Centre for South EMEA will be completing the entire project, which is a testament to our specialist capabilities to handle such a complex process.”

MSC Terminal VLC is a transshipment hub and distribution gateway for the Iberian Peninsula and Southern Europe, and currently handles 1.6 million TEUs annually. Kalmar has previously electrified two Terex Nöell rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes in the terminal.