Partial automation of Ports of Auckland’s Fergusson Container Terminal was announced earlier this year and will be a game-changer for the port, ensuring extra terminal capacity without reclamation, says CEO Tony Gibson.
The technology will allow the port to handle up to 1.7 million TEU each year (one TEU is the equivalent of a 20ft container), enough to support an Auckland population of around 2.7 million. Future technology will give the port additional capacity to serve a regional population of 5 million – more than three times the current population.
Fergusson Container Terminal has five cranes, and to ready the terminal for bigger ships and automation, the cranes had to be rearranged. The two older, smaller cranes were lifted off their rails in May so the three newer, larger cranes could be positioned at the north end of the terminal, where they will be able to work bigger ships. This massive job was done in between customers at the busy terminal.
Mr Gibson has paid tribute to the company’s highly skilled engineering team who worked closely with crane manufacturing company ZPMC to carry out the project. “We run a very busy terminal, so getting this job done quickly and with minimum disruption to shipping was essential. It’s a bit like doing knee surgery at half-time and then getting your player back on the field for the second half,” he says.
The relocation means that the cranes are now positioned well to work on the bigger ships calling at Auckland’s port. This means a more efficient container terminal and a port that can cater to Auckland’s growing freight demand.
“More people in Auckland means more imports and more shipping. This work is one part of our investment in the automation of our container terminal which will meet that growing demand,” says Mr Gibson. “This phase of automation gives us enough capacity to handle the freight for an extra million people in Auckland – that’s 30 to 40 years of capacity.”
To watch a video of the crane relocation, click here