Abu Dhabi Ports (ADP) has received two new mobile harbour cranes from German equipment manufacturer Liebherr to handle the increasing volumes of general cargo.
The new deliveries are part of ADP’s ongoing upgrade to all of its general cargo-handling equipment at the Khalifa, Zayed and Musaffah Ports.
With a capacity to lift 65t, the new cranes will support the existing ones that are capable of lifting loads of up to 100t.
Abu Dhabi Ports executive vice-president Gary Lemke said: "General cargo is a growing sector for our ports, covering everything from grain to animal feeds, to concrete and building sand, our general cargo volumes grew by 37% last year and we expect this growth to continue.
"These new cranes will increase our productivity levels, enable us to improve our operational processes and ensure that we continue to meet and exceed the growing needs of our customers."
In 2014, Abu Dhabi Ports handled a total of 12.8 million freight tonnes in general cargo, a 37% increase on the 2013 general cargo volumes. According to the port, the majority of this volume was dry bulk cargo.
Meanwhile, Zayed Port has taken delivery of four new hoppers to meet the increasing volumes. These hoppers will be deployed to enhance the speed and efficiency of handling dry bulk cargo from the unloading ship into land transport.
In April this year, ADP moved all of its RoRo cargo to the new Khalifa Port RoRo hub, in an effort to improve customer service.
Khalifa Port’s RoRo hub has the capacity to serve the wider, regional RoRo markets of the GCC region, Africa and the Indian sub-continent.
Image: New mobile harbour cranes will help Abu Dhabi Ports handle the increasing volumes of general cargo. Photo: courtesy of Abu Dhabi Ports.
