Kalmar extends booms on two quay cranes at TRP Buenos Aires

CARGOTEC CORPORATION, PRESS RELEASE AT 6 MAY 2013 AT 1 PM (EEST) 

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has gained an order from Terminales Rio de la Plata (TRP) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the extension of booms on two quay cranes.

TRP, majority owned and managed by DP World, is one of the most important container terminals in the port of Buenos Aires and leads the rankings of TEU's moved during the last 15 years. It is now planning to receive larger container vessels to optimise its 800,000 TEU's annual capacity. The significant increase in vessel width requires the quay crane geometry to be adapted to extend the reach capacity from 45 meters to 51 meters.

The project, booked in Cargotec's 2013 first quarter order intake, has seen Kalmar engineering team promptly start work on detailed engineering plans to achieve the commissioning of the two ZPMC cranes before year end.

Marcelo Massa, Managing Director of Kalmar Argentina commented, "With the increasing worldwide movement of containers, port operators are now expecting bigger vessels, some with capacities of up to 18,000 TEU. This puts significant pressure on existing equipment to handle the increased throughput and it's particularly important with quay cranes, where the critical challenge is to maintain optimum productivity. Boom extension is one of Kalmar's focus products and we are currently working with many similar inquiries globally, as result of the continuous increasing size of container vessels".

"Upgrading a crane is a very attractive proposition to many operators as it provides a relatively fast and cost-effective solution to their challenges. Typically, the crane is moved out of the operational area to a separate construction site where the boom is taken down. Extension of the boom is then undertaken at ground level and then re-assembly takes place, including other mechanical and electrical modifications necessary for the crane to operate in extended conditions".

"TRP selected Kalmar because of our considerable design experience in upgrading any brand of quay crane to provide increased crane height and longer boom dimensions. It takes a considerable amount of expertise and financial capability to deliver this type of complex project.  Kalmar's competitive edge is further enhanced through our worldwide network of specialists and this assures the customer of local project management at every stage of the project".

TRP Engineering Manager, Eugenio Calcabrini said: "Maintaining optimum container throughput when larger vessels arrive is of critical importance to us and the concept of increasing the capacity of our existing quay cranes was very appealing. Kalmar has an impressive track record in this specialised area. The Kalmar team produced a very competitive offer and with continuous support, convinced us that their proposal made sound commercial sense".

For further information please contact,

Marcelo Massa, Managing Director, Kalmar Argentina, tel. + 54 9 11 5049-2359, marcelo.massa@cargotec.com

Maija Eklöf, Vice President Communications, Kalmar, tel. + 358 20 777 4096, maija.eklof@cargotec.com
           
Kalmar offers the widest range of cargo handling solutions and services to ports, terminals, distribution centres and to heavy industry. Kalmar is the industry forerunner in terminal automation and in energy efficient container handling, with one in four container movements around the globe being handled by a Kalmar solution. Through its extensive product portfolio, global service network and ability to enable a seamless integration of different terminal processes, Kalmar improves the efficiency of every move. www.kalmarglobal.com

Kalmar is part of Cargotec. Cargotec's sales totaled EUR 3.3 billion in 2012 and it employs approximately 10,000 people. Cargotec's class B shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki under symbol CGCBV. www.cargotec.com