Port Autonome de Rouen has ordered two Kalmar Nelcon ship-to-shore (STS) cranes after the company beat five other manufacturers for the tender.

Kalmar chief executive Christer Granskog said the order was proof of Nelcon's modular concept, where a basic design could be adapted to suit various applications. The design's availability also meant costs were driven down.

The Rouen cranes will operate at the Grand Couronne Moulineaux container terminal. They will be shipped to the terminal and erected quayside. The portal and upper structure (bridge girder) would be shipped in two pieces, Kalmar said in a statement. Once assembled, the upper structure would be lifted into place by a hoist mounted on the cranes' legs.

The order follows a four-crane order for terminals in Le Havre, France, in 1999. Port Autonome de Rouen representatives visited Le Havre to see the Nelcon machines operating before awarding the tender.

The Nelcon STS modular concept means railspan, outreach, hoisting height and electrical installation specifications can be accommodated without changing the design of the crane.

The Port Autonome de Rouen tender required a crane with a 39-metre outreach, 27-metre railspan, four-metre backreach, 32.5-metre hoisting height, 15-metre depth reach and a hoisting speed of 60 metres a minute for loaded containers and 120 metres a minute for empty containers.

More than 100 STS cranes have been built since production began in 1997. The modular design was developed in 2001 and two of the machines are currently being commissioned at Uniport/Morcon in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.