Port of Rauma, Finland's largest port for forestry products, has ordered another fixed twin lift spreader from VDL Smits Spreader Systems in the Netherlands.

The port's first CH 6600 TA FT spreader was ordered last year and at the time was the only twin lift spreader in Finland.

Using the spreader, the port increased the number of container moves by 30 per cent an hour. This was mainly due to the spreader's unique feature of the combination of horizontal and traversal adjustment.

The feature enabled the spreader, including two fully loaded containers, to be adjusted to the same angle as the deck when a ship listed. It contributed to highly efficient loading/unloading, the company said in a statement.

VDL boasted that the spreader was the only type equipped with the combination of horizontal and traversal adjustment.

The Port of Rauma expects to handle 130,000 TEUs this year due to an increasing number of sailings to main European and US ports.

Port director H Asumalathi will present a paper, titled "Boosting mobile harbour crane productivity: a case study", at the TOC 2005 Europe convention/exhibition in Antwerp on Wednesday, June 15.