Port of Algeciras Gets Some Really, Really Big Cranes

This photo comes from Inchcape Shipping Services, which was recently hired to handle the arrival and offloading of 4 of the world’s largest ship-to-shore cranes at the port of Algeciras, located on the southern tip Spain along Strait of Gibraltar.

The 100-meter tall cranes arrived fully assembled from China aboard the heavy lift ship Zhen Hua 25 and had to be unloaded at the APM Terminal, where they will soon be used to offload cargo from world’s largest container ships. Julian Isola, ISS Operations Manager for Algeciras and Iberia, explains the operation:

We first arranged the entry clearance with the Harbour Master and liaised with all parties, including the pilots and the tugs. The vessel had to continually adjust her drafts during the crane discharge, in order to ensure proper stability of the vessel, so we also shared these plans accordingly.

Daily weather updates were provided by ISS Algeciras in case extra tug assistance was required during the discharge but, due to favourable swell and wind conditions, the discharge was quick and effective.

The port of Algeciras is in the middle of a $80,000,000 modernization project which includes preparing the port to handle the world’s biggest ships. The port in November saw the arrival of its first Triple-E, the MV Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller. With a throughput of 4.35 million TEUs in 2013, Algeciras is among one of the largest container ports in Europe and fastest growing.

Awesome Port of Algeciras Bonus Video:

Photo courtesy Inchcape Shipping Services