Red Sea Gateway Terminal the first fully automated world class container facility at Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia’s key port continues to expand its throughput capacity deploying new equipment. Arriving on the Zhen Hua 20 the 5th batch of equipment included two of industry’s most advanced ship to shore container cranes, bringing the total number of cranes currently serving quayside to ten.
RSGT USD 510 project and the Kingdom’s first Build Operate and Transfer port project is spearheading the development of the country’s maritime and logistics sector and well set to redefine container business in the region. Showcasing commitment the terminal operators, despite the global downturn, maintained their pace consecutively advancing the Jeddah port’s infrastructure in line with market growth.
Mr Tan Lye COO of RSGT said that JIP has experienced resurgence in container volume growth in the H1 of this year resonating with our expectations. The slight upswing in the global economy and fear of ‘the specter of congestion’ has prompted most terminal operators to rethink their investments. Luckily RSGT has always remained ahead of the game. We continued, despite the world crisis actually ordering more equipment than initially proposed.
The new STS cranes, capable of stacking containers 24 across outfitted with the up to the minute technology such as crane monitoring systems single and twin lifts enabling each crane to simultaneously handle two 40 feet containers have been positioned at the feeder berth which used solely by vessels calling at the terminal.
Notably RSGT is the only terminal on in JIP capable of receiving the next generation of super-mega vessels 13,000 TEUs and above. With the latest technology and state of art equipment already in place the terminal will ensure high productivity, raising the overall port’s capacity by up to 2 MTEU’s annually.
Mr Lye said that commercial operations started at the terminal in December 2009 with full operations scheduled by the end of this year. RSGT is the first facility in the region to deploy a unique combination of highest standard of equipment and state of art technology. These new cranes will certainly fulfill an essential component of RSGT’s long-term plans for enhanced efficiency.
