Southampton terminal orders semi-automated yard cranes

Southampton terminal orders semi-automated yard cranes Southampton Container Terminals, the box terminal owned jointly by P&O Ports and Associated British Ports, said it is investing '15 million ($28 million) over the next 15 months in container handling equipment, including semi-automated yard gantry cranes.
The semi-automated rail-mounted gantry cranes are expected to become operational in July 2005. The machines will be capable of stacking containers up to six high, and will be operated mainly in automatic mode. They will interface with straddle carriers.
   This year, other equipment will be introduced, including six further straddle carriers and two empty container handlers.
   The investment in additional equipment will increase capacity about 200,000 TEUs, to 1.6 million TEUs a year, the terminal said. The British terminal aims to increase capacity further to 2 million TEUs.
   In 2003, Southampton Container Terminals handled 1.38 million TEUs.