APM Terminals’ West Africa Container Terminal Nigeria (WACT) has taken delivery of one more new generation Mobile Harbour Crane (MHC) to enhance service delivery at its terminal at the Onne Port, Rivers State.
The new Liebherr LHM600 Mobile Harbour Crane is a powerful and effective crane for handling containers.
The new acquisition, which brings the total number of Mobile Harbour Cranes at the terminal to five, effectively consolidates the position of WACT as the best-equipped terminal in the eastern ports.
In addition to the Mobile Harbour Cranes, the terminal also has 18 Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes and several other container handling equipment.
The Managing Director of WACT, Naved Zafar, who received the new Mobile Harbour Crane alongside the Deputy Managing Director and Head of Country Projects, Jeethu Jose, and other senior management staff of the company on Monday, said the new crane was acquired as part of a fresh investment of USD112 million by APM Terminals to upgrade and expand the terminal.
The upgrade, according to him, includes the acquisition of Mobile Harbour Cranes, Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes, Empty Handlers, Terminal Trucks and Forklifts. The upgrade also includes the deployment of reefer racks with a 600-plug capacity, as well as expansion of the current yard, new workshop and a new terminal gate complex.
“We already have 4 MHCs and it is good to see the fifth one joining the fleet and undergoing the required testing and commissioning. We have been multi-skilling our operators and upskilling them to operate both the MHCs and RTGs,” he said.
Also speaking, WACT’s Deputy Managing Director/Head of Country Projects, Jeethu Jose, said, “The Onne terminal upgrade project enables sustainable success in executing our strategy, with the ultimate goal of providing world class service delivery at our terminal. Adding one more crane will increase our yard capacity, improve vessel operations at the terminal and fast-track cargo delivery. This way we are able to keep up with the market demand and provide exceptional customer experience.”
WACT, which is owned and operated by APM Terminals, started commercial operation in 2006. It is the first Greenfield container terminal in Nigeria to be built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The terminal is located within the Oil and Gas Free Zone in Onne Port, Rivers State. Over the years, it has grown to become the most efficient gateway to markets outside the Lagos area.
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