APM Terminals to take delivery of five new RTGs

As part of the ongoing $135 million terminal upgrade, APM Terminals Apapa will take delivery of five new Rubber-Tyred Gantry cranes (eco-RTGs) before the end of August. Also, another five eco-RTGs are scheduled to arrive Nigerian port in November.

This is part of the third phase of the terminal upgrade, which will also see the container yard increased by 300,000 square metres.

The 10 advanced eco-RTGs are being manufactured by Finland-based Konecranes in China, and are equipped with a laser stack profiling system which reduces the risk of loaded containers being knocked off stacks, and will be among the very first in the world to offer this technology.

“This is a very exciting development for the terminal and for the Nigerian port industry as we will be setting a new standard in safety and sustainable terminal operations in Africa,” said Dallas Hampton, managing director, APM Terminals Apapa.

The eco-RTGs will be powered by diesel engines to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 40 percent when compared to the more conventional diesel RTGs.

The RTGs will replace 22 reach stackers now in service, though five will remain at the terminal for use with rail movements. The conversion of the yard to RTGs will increase the terminal’s annual container throughput capacity to 1.2 million TEUs.