Two large gantry cranes delivered to Le Havre

Two large gantry cranes delivered to Le Havre    The first two of three large ship-to-shore container gantry cranes ordered from Chinese manufacturer ZMPC for the Quai de Bougainville terminal arrived at the port Le Havre on Feb. 6.
   The 22-container-wide cranes were ordered by SETO, a joint investment company set up between “Terminaux de Normandie” and Mediterranean Shipping Co. The port said that the new cranes are amongst the biggest in the world. SETO will operate the cranes at the terminal.
   The gantry cranes are equipped with a double-trolley system and their spreaders can work twinning two 20-foot containers. They are expected to be commissioned in late April for the first gantry crane and in June for the second one. The third one is scheduled to arrive at the French port in late February or early March and to be put into operation during the summer, the port of Le Havre said.
   The two latest cranes form part of a series of eight new container gantries ordered by the Port Autonome du Havre and three terminal operators. Their delivery will spread over the first half of the year 2004. At the end of the year, the port of Le Havre said it will have 27 container gantry cranes available, 12 of which will be less than five years old.