Chairman Karachi Port Trust (KPT) Muhammad Aslam Hayat has said that with the inclusion of latest two new super post panamax ship to shore (STS) cranes and six new "1 over 6" hybrid engine rubber tyre gantries (RTG) worth US $25 million the overall performance of the port will be improved.
According to a news release issued by KPT here on Wednesday these cranes will facilitate the container handling operations at Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT), a container terminal operator located at west wharves of the port. With this inclusion the KICT has increased its container handling equipment fleet to 9 STS cranes and 29 RTGs and is currently the leading terminal operators in Pakistan.
The cranes are part of long term strategic plan and will improve the overall performance of Karachi Port. These STS cranes, designed and built in China, are 72.8 metres high with 1376 tonnes of weight and 56 metres outreach. They are capable of reaching a height of 40 metres above quay deck and can handle loads up to 41 metric tonnes. These are the most modern and environment friendly and are capable of handling containers from super post panamax vessels. It is surely a milestone achievement for KPT towards its goal of reshaping Karachi Port into a modern gateway and transhipment hub of South and Central Asia.