Outfitting begins at giant Da Chan port project

The Da Chan Bay port development, one of the largest port projects in South China, is on track for the opening of its first two berths later this year.

The Modern Terminals-run facility today took delivery of the modern port equipment that will allow the port to handle more containers faster, and increase vessel turnaround speed.

Modern Terminals (MTL) holds a 65 percent stake while the Shenzhen Dachan Bay Port Investment and Development Co has 35 percent.

The first batch of advanced equipment ordered from Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Co - a dual-hoist tandem-lift quay crane (QC) and six electrical rubber-tyred gantry cranes (eRTGs) - was offloaded on to the quay deck.

Another seven dual-hoist tandem-lift QCs and 14 eRTGs will be delivered in batches within a month. Four more QCs and 10 more eRTGs will arrive in 2008, aligning with the staged development of the Terminal.

Horace Lo, general manager of Da Chan Bay Terminal One, said the arrival of equipment represented a major progress milestone.

"With this brand new equipment parading on the quay deck and stacking area, Da Chan Bay Terminal One is getting ready to serve as a new world-class container terminal facility starting from the end of this year," he said.

The eRTGs are a breakthrough in the aspects of environmental protection, energy conservation and equipment reliability. Unlike regular RTGs, eRTGs are driven by electricity instead of diesel oil during normal operation.

Only a limited amount of diesel oil is required for backup operation during power outage and mobilisation from one stacking area to another. An energy feedback system is installed in each eRTG to reduce energy dissipation. All these help reduce energy consumption.

The eRTGs are much quieter than RTGs with a diesel engine and it helps improve the air quality. This means a better working environment for the equipment operators.

In addition, eRTGs require much less engine repair, resulting in greater reliability and higher productivity. The anti-collision and anti-lifting systems of the eRTGs also ensure operational safety.

The dual-hoist tandem-lift QCs are 30 percent more productive than regular types. They can simultaneously handle two FEUs or four TEUs with a total laden weight of 80 metric tonnes.

Their outreach is 67 metres across 24 containers, which can serve the widest container vessels in the near future. In addition, their wide rail gauge of 35 metres allows more tractor traffic underneath, faster tractor turnaround, and greater operational efficiency.