Forklift News - Mediterranean supply chain boosts handling capacity

Moroccan and Spanish ports have ordered Kalmar's all-electric E-One rubber-tyred gantry cranes.

Kalmar has received orders for its all-electric rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes from Moroccan and Spanish ports.

Somaport, operating at the Port of Casablanca, ordered 10 7+1 wide, 1-over-5 high E-One units that are outfitted with Bromma twinlift spreaders and Kalmar’s autosteering and container position verification system. They will be delivered by early 2009.

Somaport also opted to equip the cranes with Kalmar’s remote machine interface tool for remote monitoring, maintenance tasking and reporting.

The agreement includes full maintenance by Kalmar for a seven-year period.

Michel Geernaert, Kalmar France SA’s port division director, says Kalmar’s commitment to establishing a local service centre in Morocco convinced Somaport that Kalmar’s products and services were the best fit for its operations.

"For many years Kalmar worked hard to meet the handling needs of Somaport’s global parent company, (COMANOV, now acquired by CMA-CGM).

"Furthermore, Kalmar’s promise of fast, reliable on-site service backed by its global network of experienced maintenance technicians reassured Somaport its terminal will operate with the highest machine availability," Geernaert says.

Meanwhile, Abra Terminales Maritimas (ATM) SA operating at the Port of Bilbao in Spain has ordered similar units with Kalmar’s Smartrail automation tool to update the terminal’s infrastructure. ATM handled 500,000 TEUs in 2007.

Port Nou at the Port of Barcelona ordered two six-wheeled E-One RTGs to replace the operator’s existing RTG cranes. Port Nou handles over 52,000 TEUs and is the third busiest container terminal in Barcelona.

OPSCA’s terminal in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has received four Kalmar E-One RTGs. The port handled 1.3 million TEUs in 2007 and is one of Spain’s busiest port terminals.

The value of the orders was not disclosed.

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