20 Nov 13 - 18:53
Five cranes at Maasvlakte I to be retrofitted for serving
Rotterdam, Netherlands - APM Terminals Rotterdam Maasvlakte I will
enhance five of the terminal's existing post-Panamax cranes to a
23-container row reach to accommodate the latest generation of
ultra-large container ships. The retrofitting involves engineering and
software adjustments expected to be completed in time for the arrival of
the 18,000 TEU capacity Marie Maersk, the fourth Maersk Line
EEE-Class vessel, currently the world's largest ships of any type, which
is scheduled to arrive in Rotterdam on December 6th as part of the
weekly Asia/North Europe AE10 service.
We are continuously anticipating and adapting to our customers' needs
to provide industry-leading efficiency and productivity" said APM
Terminals European Portfolio Manager Ben Vree.
The world's first 18,000 TEU vessel, the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller,
paid its maiden call to APM Terminals Rotterdam on August 16th. The EEE
class vessels, at 59 meters (194 feet) wide, are 9 meters (29.5 feet)
wider than the 15,000 TEU Maersk E-Class vessels, which have a capacity
of 15,500 TEUs. Triple E-class vessels have containers stacked 23 rows
wide across the deck, while current post-Panamax cranes were constructed
with a 22-container row wide reach. APM Terminals Rotterdam set a new
terminal productivity record on the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller with berth
productivity of 215 gross moves per hour and crane productivity of 37.1
gross moves per hour.
The booms of five of the 13 STS cranes now in operation at APM
Terminals Rotterdam Maasvlakte I are being extended for use on the
18,000+ TEU capacity vessels and will also use new operating procedures.
Maersk Line has received the first four EEE-Class vessels out of a
total of 20 scheduled for delivery over the next two years. The
new generation of container vessels with a capacity of more than 18,000
TEU is setting a new standard for the industry.
Source: APM Terminals
