The Port of Fortaleza has added two Konecranes Generation 6 mobile harbour cranes.

The order is part of the first stage of an expansion of the port, part of the Marseille, France-based CMA CGM Group.

CMA Terminals do Brazil chief executive officer Sergio Lima says: “Highly efficient operations promote commercial development and increased revenues, strengthening the local economic and social infrastructure.

“Konecranes was able to offer us impressive technology that is sure to provide us with the fast and precise container handling we need to improve our productivity.”

The two new cranes are Generation 6 Konecranes Gottwald ESP.8 mobile harbour cranes with a working radius of 54 m and a capacity of up to 150 T for vessels up to post-Panamax class.

In Fortaleza in north-eastern Brazil, they will be used mostly for container handling, as well as project and general cargo if the need arises.

The cranes use the Konecranes hybrid drive, which consists of a modern eco-efficient diesel engine paired with ultracapacitors that can recharge using energy recovered from lowering and braking motions. This gives the power needed for peak performance while saving fuel on lighter loads.

Konecranes port solutions senior sales manager Alfredo Canibano Ramos says: “We’ve been providing ports equipment like RTGs (rubber-tyred gantry cranes) and straddle carriers at other CMA CGM container terminals since 2005, but this is the first time they’ve ordered our mobile harbour cranes.

“We’re confident that these new Generation 6 cranes will deliver strong, consistent and long-lasting performance as the company continues to extend their container handling operations.”