Transet orders 30 straddle carriers from Kalmar for Durban port

Transet orders 30 straddle carriers from Kalmar for Durban port Kalmar Industries has won a contract from Transnet Port Terminals of South Africa to supply 30 straddle carriers for its operations at Durban Container Terminal, the country’s busiest terminal.
   The machines will be delivered starting in July, with the final units arriving January 2009.
   Rapid growth of cargo volumes at the Port of Durban have forced port officials to acquire machines that allow containers to be stacked higher than before. Durban Container Terminal operates with a mix of three- and four-high stacking blocks, but the new straddle carriers will allow the yard's stacking density to increase. The port handled 2 million TEUs in 2007 and expects volume to rise in 2008.
   Kalmar has also received an order from Transnet for 22 rubber-tired gantry cranes for the country's newest port development, Port of Ngqura, on the Eastern Cape.
   Durban is Africa’s busiest port and has the southern hemisphere's largest and best-equipped container terminal. The Port of Durban handled 2 million TEU in 2007 and expects a sizable increase in 2008.