Two new cranes tower over docks (From Daily Echo)

Two new cranes tower over docks

10:52am Thursday 11th June 2009 in News By Gareth Lewis, Business Editor

One of the new cranes at Southampton Docks

TESTING is now under way on two new massive cranes which tower one and a half times the height of Nelson’s Column above Southampton docks and mark the latest phase in a major investment programme.

Despite the recession triggering a hefty slump in container volumes, bosses at the terminal have spent £10m on a further two “post-panamax cranes”, to go with the pair installed last year and bringing the total spent to £20m.

Specially designed to handle the very biggest ships afloat, each of the additions to the city skyline weighs 1,000 tonnes and can stretch across a deck 22 containers wide. It’s designed to cope with a trend in container shipping that sees vessels growing ever larger, as witnessed by a succession of record arrivals at the terminal, which has been renamed DP World Southampton.

Constructed on site at the terminal after sections were shipped in from Ireland and Germany in March, they were moved into position at the weekend and will now be tested over the coming weeks before becoming fully operational.

Campbell Mason, managing director of DP World Southampton, said: “The two new super post-panamax cranes, along with the two others they now stand alongside, represent the latest phase of a multi-million pound investment programme at the terminal.

“It is a must that the equipment we invest in is capable of servicing the ongoing industry trend toward larger vessels. With four super postpanamax cranes, each with an outreach of 22 containers wide, we have the capability to handle the widest ships in operation today and are well prepared for the future.”