Matson adds mobile crane to enhance Maui service

Matson adds mobile crane to enhance Maui service Matson Navigation Co. said Tuesday it has completed installation of a new $5 million mobile harbor crane for the port of Kahului on Maui.
   The new equipment, which is a first for a Neighbor Island port, will strengthen Matson's operations in Kahului by providing a land-based crane for container handling. The crane is intended to complement Matson's container barge service, which utilizes self-equipped rail-mounted cranes, and its roll-on/roll-off service, which, in addition to moving vehicles and other rolling stock, involves discharging and loading containers on chassis via special ramps designed for Matson's vessels.
   'Maui's economic growth in recent years has resulted in increased cargo volumes through its primary port, Kahului, as well as rises in vessel calls by the passenger sector,' said Gary North, senior Matson vice president, Pacific, in a statement. 'Our main objective is to explore new ways to promote that growth through service enhancements and port development initiatives.'
   The mobile crane is 150 feet tall and capable of lifting up to 40 tons of cargo. It was manufactured by Liebherr-Werk Nanzing GmbH and transported by barge from Rostock, Germany, to Kahului.
   In addition to the new shore-side crane for Maui, Matson recently dry-docked its two Neighbor Island container barges, Haleakala and Mauna Loa, the company said. The project included enhancing the barges' crane controls to improve efficiency and adding capacity by reconfiguring the cell guides.