KCI Konecranes wins Mexican Special Cranes order

Konecranes VLC wins repeat order from TMM Puertos y Terminales, S.A. de C.V.. Four Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTG) to Mexico’s second largest port, Operadora Portuaria de Manzanillo (OPM) in July 2003. Typically these cranes cost approx. EUR 1.2-1.5 million each.

Significant growth at Manzanillo has led to operator Operadora Portuaria de Manzanillo (OPM) winning permission from the Mexican government to expand its terminal by 500 m quay and 29 acres (12 ha) of yard. OPM is a JV between Transportacion Maritima Mexicana (TMM) and Stevedoring Services of America (SSA).

The expansion will lead to Manzanillo becoming a prime port of entry into Mexico and the U.S.. The purchase of the four RTG’s relates to the first phase of the expansion. OPM already operates Konecranes RTG’s at its terminal in Manzanillo since 1998. “This repeat order again shows the competitiveness of Konecranes’ RTG design and we look forward to seeing the RTG becoming the preferred choice among all terminal operators that focus on high container handling efficiency”, said Mikko Uhari, Managing Director Konecranes VLC.

The cranes will be manufactured in Finland and they will arrive to the terminal fully erected. The lifting capacity of these 16 wheel RTG's is 50 tons. Lifting height is 59 feet and span 75 feet. In other words they are one-over-five containers high and six-plus-truck lane wide. The cranes feature modern control systems such as Sway prevention, Fine positioning and Konecranes own AC Frequency Controls.

After delivery of these four RTG cranes there will be totally 103 Konecranes new design RTG's in operation in North and Central America.

Konecranes VLC is part of the KCI Konecranes Group’s Special Cranes Business Area and specialises in port, terminal and shipyard cranes.

KCI Konecranes, headquartered in Hyvinkää, Finland is a world leading Engineering Group specialising in advanced overhead lifting solutions and maintenance services. KCI Konecranes is the world's leading supplier of heavy-duty cranes for process industries. KCI Konecranes is a global supplier of special harbour cranes for bulk materials and containers and a leading provider of shipyard cranes. In 2001, Group sales totalled EUR 756 million with over 4400 employees in 34 countries all over the world.

For further information, please contact:

Konecranes VLC Oy

Tuomas Saastamoinen, Sales Manager,
Email: [email protected]
Phone +358 20 427 11, Fax: +358 20 427 2599

Dick Russell, Sales Director,
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 -(973) 575-5775, Fax: +1-(973) 575-5850