High-tech: First cabinless automated cranes to be deployed in the region
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, NOV 20
Irish crane manufacturer Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd has announced that it has secured a contract to supply and install a sizable fleet of container cranes at the Port of Duqm, which anchors one of the largest economic zones in the Middle East.
The contract covers the manufacture and supply of four Ship to Shore (STS) and twelve rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes for delivery in late 2022. The new hardware will enable Port of Duqm to handle the world’s largest container vessels as it expands its existing cargo and bulk services with container handling.
The new ship to shore container cranes feature an outreach of 71m, a back reach of 18m and a lift height over rail of 50m. The cranes have a safe working load of 65 tonnes under twinlift spreader.
Supplied without a cabin the cranes will be operated utilising a combination of remote control and automation, according to the manufacturers. “Automation will take care of the majority of the cycle with operator intervention only required when operating below a predefined safe height,” the company said in a press statement.
Each Liebherr STS will be connected to its own dedicated remote operating system (ROS). The centrally located remote operation facility will also host the ROS for control of the automated RTGs. The cabinless RTGs feature automation over the stack with remote control only required for container pick or place from the truck trailers, or for exception handling. Four ROS operators will operate the twelve RTGs.
The diesel powered RTGs can stack eight containers and a truck lane wide and one over 6 containers high. Data communications in the container yard will be handed by a mesh network. This decentralised system sees multiple access points positioned throughout the yard providing a high speed and stable data network delivering the required latency and high bandwidth communication necessary for remote control.
Gerry Bunyan, Managing Director - Sales for Liebherr Container Cranes, said: “Liebherr are very happy to have been awarded this project in Oman. Liebherr have for many years supplied STS and RTG cranes throughout the Middle East, but these will be the first Liebherr container cranes in Oman. These are also our first cabinless and automated cranes in the region and we look forward to seeing the cranes being deployed, and playing the lead role in expanding the services offered by the Port.”
He further added: “The new Liebherr cranes have been designed with the future in mind. Their size and the extensive automation features will ensure that the Port of Duqm will be able to efficiently, safely and predictably handle the world’s largest container vessels for many years to come.”
A relatively new facility, Duqm has been designed to be a world class, multipurpose commercial gateway and is destined to become one of the largest ports in the region. It is being developed into an integrated, multimodal logistics hub and is well connected via road, rail and air.
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