Two brand new Chinese manufactured cranes will be fitted at berth number 6 of Hambantota International Port (HIP). The shore cranes, shipped by barge from the Port of Zhenjiang in China to HIP, came fully assembled, and took nearly 6 weeks to complete their journey.
The cranes built to fit HIP regulations are customised to comply with the port’s environmental standards. The new equipment, which will be used for the discharge of bulk raw materials for the Lanwa Cement Factory, will move clinker, gypsum, and slag cargoes. The material will be transferred from the ship to the dedusting hopper via the cranes and then taken to a conveyor belt leading to the factory located in the BOI zone in Mirijjawila, 2 km away from the port.
“The new cranes will hugely increase vessel turnaround times which will have a highly desirable impact on our productivity. The Port began handling bulk cargo in 2018 after the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) took over. We have achieved record highs in volumes since then and this new addition will help us to further improve the efficiency of our operations. We will be able to almost double our productivity levels, with the new cranes,” says Tissa Wickramasinghe, COO of HIPG.
Each crane has a 27m outreach and can handle 600 tonnes per hour, with a lifting speed of 120m per minute. While enhancing the environment-friendliness of cargo handling at HIP.