State-owned DCHC is located inside Damietta Port, with proximity to the Suez Canal that makes it attractive to transit container vessels. In 2008, DCHC handled just over 1.2m TEUs, and this is expected to increase to 1.4m TEUs in 2009.
The 16-wheel RTG cranes are fully electrical and hydraulic-free. They are equipped with active load control with a horizontal fine positioning system and Konecranes’ crane management system. The cranes have a lifting capacity of 40t and can stack one over five containers high and seven plus truck lane wide.
“These investments are part of our extensive expansion plans for the future,” said Admiral Mohamed Saad Zagloul, chairman of DCHC. “The new equipment will improve our productivity and we look forward to receiving it.”
Konecranes said the order from DCHC represents a breakthrough into an important government sector in Egypt. It has supplied container handling equipment to private companies in Egypt since 2003,
“We are delighted to be able to supply Konecranes’ high performance container handling equipment to DCHC and the Egyptian market,” says Antoine Bosquet, sales manager for port cranes at Konecranes. “These orders are crucial references with regards to our expansion strategy in North Africa and the Middle East.”
The order also includes two empty container reachstackers. The reachstackers will be delivered in early 2010, with the RTGs arriving next autumn.
