THE French port of Marseille is rapidly expanding its container-handling capacity to be able to accommodate mega-ships of up to 20,000 TEU, after the Seayard Fos terminal ordered a crane to operate up to 24 rows of containers - should these giants pay a visit in future.
Seayard already has two cranes able to carry 22 rows of containers. MSC has a 50 per cent stake in the terminal, together with Maersk (40 per cent) and China Cosco (10 per cent).
The crane acquisition by Seayard comes hot on the heels of rival EUROFOS, a joint venture between DP World and Terminal Link of the CMA CGM Group, ordering two cranes that can carry up to 26 rows of containers at the end of 2015.
The EUROFOS cranes will begin to be assembled next February, reported the meditelegraph.com.
And so the company has launched its challenge to VTE, the Genoese terminal in Italy that in 2016 will be equipped with four new cranes for mega-containerships.
The four VTE cranes, ordered last year from the Chinese manufacturer ZPMC in Shanghai, can operate up to 25 rows of containers.
Although it is debatable whether Genoa nor Marseille are hoping to attract the largest ships, which are intended for trade between the Far East and Northern Europe, official statements in this regard are based on prudence.
"This crane," said Seayard CEO Claus Elleman-Jensenm, "will be able to handle ships up to 20,000 TEU, although we do not think we will receive them in Fos anytime soon."
PORTS
20 January 2016 - 21:47
Not to be caught unawares Marseille port ramps for 20,000-TEUers
THE French port of Marseille is rapidly expanding its container-handling capacity to be able to accommodate mega-ships of up to 20,000 TEU, after the Seayard Fos terminal ordered a crane to operate up to 24 rows of containers - should these giants pay a visit in future.
PORTS
20 January 2016 - 21:47
Not to be caught unawares Marseille port ramps for 20,000-TEUers
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