Lithuania: JSSC Klaipedos Smelte Orders RTG and STS Cranes from Konecranes

In September 2011 Konecranes received an order for three STS (Ship-To-Shore) cranes and seven RTG (Rubber Tired Gantry) cranes from JSSC Klaipedos Smelte in Lithuania. The cranes will be delivered to the port of Klaipeda starting in the fourth quarter of 2012. The parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the order.

Stevedoring company Klaipedos Smelte, based in the seaport of Klaipeda, handles and stores containers, heavy lift and oversized cargo, frozen meat and fish products and other conventional cargo. The company is part of the worldwide container terminal network controlled by Terminal Investment Limited (TIL).

The Klaipedos Smelte container terminal was opened in 2006, and since starting operations the number of containers handled by the terminal has constantly grown. Starting with 38,000 TEUs in 2007, the terminal is now capable of handling more than 200,000 TEUs annually. The longer term target is to become a 1,000,000 TEU transshipment hub.

“Signing the crane purchase agreement is a major event for our company, as we have just taken a big step towards achieving the long-term target set by our shareholding company TIL,” says Rimantas Juska, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Klaipedos Smelte. “Constructing a container hub for TIL’s main customer Mediterranean Shipping Company​ in the port of Klaipeda requires cooperation with reputable, strong partners. We believe that Konecranes is the right company to take on that position. The uncompromising quality of the cranes, the expertise in the domestic market and strong potential for developing our cooperation in the future were the decisive factors. With indepth expertise provided by TIL, our ambition is to become one of the leading container terminals, and the most efficient, in the Eastern Baltics.”

“We are very excited to be part of the major developments in the Klaipedos Smelte terminal,” says Thomas Gylling, responsible for port crane sales in the area at Konecranes. “The plans of Klaipedos Smelte and TIL for strong growth and development will have a major impact on the shipping of containerized cargo in the Baltic Sea. They are taking pioneering steps by introducing Post Panamax container ships this far into the Baltic Sea. Konecranes is honored to contribute to these developments by supplying highly efficient container handling cranes to serve Post Panamax size vessels as well as the container yard inventory and traffic.”

The STS cranes are Post Panamax size with an outreach of 51 meters and a lifting capacity of 65 tons. They have a lifting height of 42 meters, so they can serve the latest container vessels. With this combination of outreach, lifting capacity and lifting height, these STS cranes are the biggest and most powerful STS cranes in the Baltic Sea.

The RTG cranes will be fitted with Konecranes eco-efficient technologies such as the fuel saving system and readiness to switch to electric mains supply in the future, which will eliminate local exhaust emissions. Performance increasing technologies are included such as DGPS-assisted technology for container yards, including the Autosteering feature, which keeps the crane on a pre-programmed straight driving path, thus improving safety and increasing productivity. The RTG container positioning system is connected to the port’s terminal operating system, ensuring correct, real-time container positioning and maintaining accuracy in inventory. Container handling efficiency is further increased by Autostop, a driver assistance feature that automatically stops the crane in the correct position for the target container or slot. The 16-wheel RTGs have a lifting capacity of 40 tons and can stack 1 over 6 containers high and 6 plus truck lane wide.

The STS and RTG cranes are equipped with remote access technology, enabling remote diagnostics and the related in-depth expertise and maintenance services that are available in the Konecranes TRUVIEW® offering.

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Source: Konecranes, September 13, 2011.