Pier 400

KCI Konecranes has penetrated the US west coast market with its first rubber tyred gantry crane (RTG) order from a Los Angeles port terminal.

Seven RTGs will be delivered to Pier 400, APM Terminals' state-of-the-art container terminal of more than 400 acres, opened in August 2002.

The 16-wheel, all-electric RTGs have a lifting capacity of 50 tons, are one over five containers high and six-plus truck lanes wide.

Delivery of the cranes is due to be completed by September.

Konecranes director for harbour and shipyard cranes Ilpo Hakala said: "We have had tremendous success selling our RTG cranes to the east and gulf coasts of the US with many repeat orders from all major container terminals in those areas, currently totalling 130 cranes.

"This order is a huge breakthrough for us on the west coast, and we expect other terminal operators to see the big difference between our new generation crane and traditional ones that have been used until now," Hakala said.

The RTGs will be fully equipped with the Sway Prevention and Find Positioning System features. All features are electromechanical, with no hydraulics involved.

According to Konecranes, APM Terminals, ranked the third largest container terminal operator in the world, is Konecranes's biggest customer for RTGs.

To date, 34 Konecranes RTGs have been delivered to APM terminals in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Norfolk, Virginia, and Houston, Texas.