KCI Konecranes: Commercial Breaktrough for a New Bulk Crane

KCI Konecranes has received two orders for high capacity grab type unloaders, for the harbours in Le Havre in France and Koper in Slovenia.

The cranes are used for unloading bulk materials (coal, iron ore etc.) from ships.

The cranes have a capacity of 1500 tons per hour. The cranes represent a new generation technology. All movements are computer controlled and all drives are AC-type of KCI Konecranes own production. The new technology features higher reliability, lower running costs and because of lighter deadweight, less costly infrastructure.

The first unit of the new design has completed its first year of successful operation, with production levels in excess of specification, at the harbour of Pori, Finland.

"These orders are yet another proof of KCI Konecranes modern technology", says Mikko Uhari, President, Konecranes VLC, the harbour and shipyard crane subsidiary, "The orders support our order book for 2002. We have recently also received a number of orders for delivery in 2002 and 2003, including a ship-to-shore container crane to Århus in Denmark, a shipyard crane to Ulstein in Norway, a number of paper mill cranes to China and Austria and large modernisation jobs to USA."

The total value for recent orders amount to EUR 22 million.

KCI Konecranes is one of the leading crane companies in the world. The KCI Konecranes’ activity is organised along three Business Areas: Maintenance Services, Standard Lifting Equipment and Special Cranes. In 1999, Group sales were approx. EUR 600 million with over 4000 employees in 34 countries all over the world.

For further information, please contact:

Teuvo Rintamäki, Chief Financial Officer
KCI Konecranes International Plc
Tel. +358-20 427 2040