First cranes delivered to new Moroccan terminal

First cranes delivered to new Moroccan terminal    Eurogate Tanger, the second stage development at the Tangier Med Container Terminal in Morocco, Monday received its first five ship-to-shore cranes ahead of its opening in the fall.
   The cranes, each able to lift 65 tons and with a 65 meter reach over the edge of the quayside, arrived on the heavy lift ship Zhen Hua 11 after a 60-day voyage from Shanghai.


   The new terminal is being jointly developed by a consortium comprising German container terminal operator Eurogate and major European shipping lines Mediterranean Shipping Co., Zim and CMA CGM, together with its Moroccan subsidiary Comanav. Eurogate Tanger has a quay length of 810 meters, a total area of about 40 hectares, and an annual cargo handling capacity of 1.3 million TEUs.
   'Due to its geostrategic position, Tangier represents a potential crossroads for global container traffic on north-south and east-west routes. The terminal will also offer greater opportunities for import and export activities in Morocco,' said Domenico Bagal', chairman of Eurogate Tanger S.A.
   Eurogate Tanger follows the opening last July of a 1.4 million-TEU-capacity terminal at the Moroccan port by A.P. Moller – Maersk-owned APM Terminals (90 percent) and Casablanca-based Akwa Group (10 percent).