New crane gives Belfast Harbour a lift

The new fully electric crane is part of a three-year investment project to significantly improve the container terminal’s safety, sustainability, efficiency and capacity, progressing Belfast Harbour’s ambition to be the best regional port in the world.

Since Belfast Harbour sources all its electricity from green energy, this new fully electric crane will also be carbon neutral.

Michael Robinson, Belfast Harbour’s Port Director, said: “As part of our £40M investment programme in VT3, this new crane will service the increasingly large container ships importing and exporting from Belfast. It is one of 10 new cranes that are being installed, supporting Belfast Harbour’s SMART Port strategy to improve efficiency through new technology and further our ambition to be the best regional port in the world.

“With a high degree of self-automation incorporated into our new crane investments we will be able to enhance operational safety and do so in a more sustainable manner. The enhanced capability of the new cranes will also increase the container terminal capacity by 30%, helping us to cater for future economic growth. The region’s importers and exporters will also benefit from the improved container discharging and loading efficiencies provided by the new cranes and our investment at the VT3 terminal.”

Declan Freeman, Managing Director of Belfast Container Terminal Limited, operators of the VT3 terminal, added: “We welcome the significant investment Belfast Harbour is making in the container terminal which will make it one of the most modern and efficient terminals in these islands. The new Liebherr ship- to-shore crane is a superb asset for the terminal and together with the investment in new automated rubber tyre gantry cranes, we are confident that operational efficiency and safety will be enhanced.”

Manufactured by Liebherr in Co. Kerry, the crane was delivered to Belfast Harbour’s D1 site (in Co. Down) in March. After a 12-week construction period it was moved across the Victoria Channel by barge to VT3 (in Co. Antrim) in a complex 15-hour operation last weekend. The crane can lift 40 containers, each weighing up to 40 tonnes, from a ship every hour. It can operate in winds of up to 50 mph and weighs 765 tonnes.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you