HHLA expands to handle latest UCLs

The Hamburg port terminal operator has ordered three new gantry cranes for its Burchardkai terminal that will allow it to handle containerships with capacity for over 20,000 TEUs.    Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has ordered three new container gantry cranes for the Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB).
   The Hamburg port terminal operator said in a statement the new cranes are designed for loading and unloading containerships with 24 transverse container rows and will allow CTB to handle vessels with a capacity of 20,000 TEUs. Chinese manufacturer ZPMC will supply the container gantry cranes, which weigh in at 2,400 tons and can handle a maximum payload of 110 tons.
   HHLA executive board member Stefan Behn said of the investment, “The number of ultra-large vessels calling at our Hamburg terminals is continuing to increase. The new cranes provide us with additional capacity and flexibility, allowing us to continue handling vessels with the high level of productivity that our customers are used to.
   “The purchase of the cranes is part of our long-term program to adapt to ship sizes and to increase productivity,” added Behn. “At the same time, we ensure with numerous measures a more efficient coordination of traffic – both at the quayside and at the hinterland.”
   HHLA operates two other terminals at the Port of Hamburg – ltenwerder and Tollerort – as well as one container terminal at the Port of Odessa in the Ukraine.