New Walvis Bay port Ship-to-Shore cranes all working at the same time, all on the same ship
The Namibian Ports Authority set a new operational benchmark last week Wednesday when all four Ship-to-Shore cranes were employed together for the first time since the commissioning of the new container terminal at the beginning of August.
It was also the first time that all four cranes loaded cargo off and on the same ship.
The container ship, Maersk IYO, sailed into the harbour to discharge and load cargo that required a total of 909 moves. The ship with a capacity of 4500 20-foot containers, discharged cargo which went into the new container storage area.
Announcing their latest achievement, the ports authority said the significance of four cranes operating at the same time and on the same vessel, lies in the ability to discharge or load cargo much faster. This, in turn, reduces the time the ship has to spend in the harbour, it speeds up the turnaround time for such vessels, and ultimately it helps to make the Walvis Bay harbour an attractive destination for international shipping liners.
Another benefit is that the quay becomes available sooner for other traffic which also contributes to push bigger volumes of cargo over shorter periods, leading to exponential improvements in port efficiency.
“This was indeed a proud moment for Namport, proving that we are capable of moving in the league of our competitors,” said the authority’s Executive: Commercial, Immanuel !Hanabeb.
