United Heavy Lift’s vessel UHL Focus, a ship carrying the second 4 of 8 Liebherr rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes docked at the Berbera port of Somaliland Tuesday evening.
The first four of eight Liebherr RTG cranes arrived in Berbera port on December 24, 2020.
This makes the number of Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGs) at Berbera port a total of 8. Additional 3 larger cranes from Germany are expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2021.
The cranes have the capacity to handle six containers plus a truck lane wide and can stack one container over five high.
Berbera port General Manager, Said Hasan confirmed the arrival of the gantry cranes.
According to a statement from Berbera Port Manager Mr. Saeed Abdillahi Hassan, the arrival of these cranes puts the Berbera port in direct competition with other ports in the region and will triple the port’s container handling capacity from 170,000 to 450,000 containers per year and will significantly increase average unloading rate of cargo. He added that an increase in the port’s handling will have a major impact on Somaliland’s economy.
The Berbera Port Manager stated that all eleven cranes are expected to come online this summer and welcomed the Parliament’s approval of the Free Trade Zone law as a major step in the right direction that will boost trade in the region and cement Somaliland’s position as a major player in the Red Sea commerce. Mr. Hassan added that so far 35 international companies have reached out to the government of Somaliland for cooperation on the Free Trade Zone.
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In March last year, Liebherr Container Cranes and DP World Berbera signed a contract for the supply of eight rubber tire gantry (RTGs) for DP World’s terminal in Berbera.
The high-performance, variable speed diesel RTGs are six containers plus a truck lane wide and will stack one over five containers high.
The machines are supplied with DGPS autosteering and stack profiling. The machines incorporate Liebherr’s unique eight rope reeving no-sway-system, Liebherr drive systems, and simultaneous drive motion to deliver industry-leading productivity.
Gantry cameras as well as a laser anti-collision system bring safety enhancements to operations.
The Liebherr machines have been designed using high-quality European components, specified for maximum loading conditions, significantly enhancing component life. Remote maintenance and Liebherr’s custom diagnostics and maintenance software, DiaMon3D further enhance the RTGs appeal and help deliver exceptionally low maintenance costs.
The variable speed diesel engine helps reduce running costs and will significantly reduce emissions.
Berbera port already operates three Liebherr LHM 420 mobile harbor cranes, which went into service in early 2019. The new cranes are part of a phased expansion of the port, with phase one including a new 400m quay and a 250,000 m² yard extension.
