ZPMC Enhances Global Port Operations with Crane Shipments to Cameroon, Benin, and New York/New Jersey

Politics John Brightwater September 3, 2024

ZPMC Enhances Global Port Operations with Crane Shipments to Cameroon, Benin, and New York/New Jersey

ZPMC, the prominent Chinese port equipment manufacturer, has recently initiated the shipment of multiple crane units aimed at enhancing port operations across several global locations, notably in Cameroon, Benin, and New York/New Jersey.

These shipments include a significant export to support the anticipated Phase II development of the Kribi Deep Sea Port project in Cameroon. The shipment comprises thirteen rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs), two reach stackers, and three container stacking machines, designed to improve cargo handling capabilities at the port. Each RTG boasts a safe working load (SWL) of 41 tons, a loading profile of six plus one rows wide, and a stacking height capability of one-over-six. This consignment forms part of a larger overarching order for fifteen RTGs previously commissioned. Additionally, ZPMC has successfully delivered five ship-to-shore (STS) cranes as part of the same project.

The Kribi Deepwater Port is being developed by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), with the first phase featuring an impressive infrastructure layout. The Phase I terminal stretches 670 meters, offering both a multi-purpose berth with a capacity of 40,000 tons and a container berth able to accommodate 50,000 tons. The container terminal, which spans 13 hectares, features 350 linear meters of quay with a draught of 16 meters, and is equipped with two STS cranes along with five RTGs.

The ongoing Phase II, slated for completion in 2024, will see a further expansion of 30 hectares, incorporating an additional 700-meter quay with a similar 16-meter draught. This phase will also introduce five more STS cranes and 15 additional RTG cranes, as well as two offshore oil terminals designated for oil exports from Cameroon and Chad, plus an offshore gas terminal complete with a floating gas liquefaction plant.

The Port of Kribi, which officially commenced operations in March 2018 under the management of a consortium led by CHEC, Bolloré, CMA CGM, and various local Cameroonian enterprises, achieved a noteworthy milestone by processing 210,000 TEU by July 2019 alone. Projections indicate that during the 25-year concession period, cumulative fees may total €1.6 billion (approximately US$1.8 billion), supplemented by an expected €300 million in income tax, as reported by the Chinese government.

In a separate initiative, ZPMC has also dispatched one STS crane to Cotonou Port in Benin. This crane is designed with a 62.5-meter outreach, a SWL of 65 tons under the spreader, and a lifting height of 45 meters above the rail. The Benin Terminal, operating under the umbrella of Africa Global Logistics (AGL), had previously welcomed four RTGs from Konecranes in March 2024, enhancing its operational capacity.

Moreover, a shipment of four Super Post Panamax STS cranes is en route to APM Terminals Elizabeth at the Port of New York and New Jersey. These cranes form part of a larger modernization investment at the terminal. APM Terminals has initiated a US$70 million upgrade that includes the reception of the first two STS cranes out of a planned total of six from ZPMC. Once all cranes are operational, APM Terminals Elizabeth will have a total of ten super-post-Panamax cranes, complementing the existing capacity provided by four similar cranes already in place, thereby fortifying its capability to service ultra-large container vessels effectively.