Aqaba receives cranes, expansion coming

Aqaba receives cranes, expansion coming    The Aqaba Container Terminal in Jordan has received two ship-to-shore cranes to address market demand, said APM Terminals, which manages the terminal.
   The cranes can handle 18-row post-Panamax vessels and perform 30 moves per hour, improving upon cranes previously in operation at Aqaba.
   The owners of the terminal, a joint venture between APM Terminals (a subsidiary of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group) and the Aqaba Development Corp., in December announced plans for an expansion, including a 460-meter quay extension to increase annual capacity to 2 million TEUs.
   “We believe Aqaba’s attractiveness will play a much larger role in global supply chains,' said Kim Fejfer, APM Terminals chief executive officer. 'It’s location, market and cost-effective, high-productivity operations create a clear edge for shippers.”
   ACT saw container traffic grow 25 percent during the first three quarters of 2009. In 2008, container volume at the port grew 42 percent to about 600,000 TEUs.