Liebherr STS cranes were assembled in Cadiz, Spain and shipped to Morocco on special heavy lift ships and will have an initial handling capacity of over 1.5 million TEU per year
At the end of a very exciting and complex project and at the same time at the beginning of a new beginning, Tanger Alliance received the last two of eight ship-to-shore container cranes from Liebherr at the TC3 terminal in Tanger Med in Morocco. The last crane was put into service in April 2021 and increases the operating capacity of the new terminal to over 1.5 million TEU per year. The cranes, the first Liebherr STS at Tanger Med, were erected at a remote location in Cadiz, Spain, before the two of them were shipped to Morocco. The first cranes were put into operation in October 2020, four more will follow in quick succession, so that the terminal can go into operation with six STS cranes in January 2021.
The cranes were made by Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd. designed and manufactured in Ireland. They have a radius of 72 m, a lifting height over rail of 54 m, a span of 30.48 m and a rear reach of 22 m. The safe working load under the double lift spreader is 65 t. The ultra-large STS cranes are future-proof as they can accommodate ships with up to 26 rows stowed above deck and integrate fiber optic cores into the cabling, fault monitoring and remote diagnosis. Safety functions such as laser and ultrasonic anti-collision systems as well as intelligent slowing down are installed as standard.
Liebherr Container Cranes commissioned ALE Heavylift Madrid (later Mammoet) to assemble and transport the cranes. The cranes were ordered between March and November 2019, with delivery scheduled for 2020 and 2021. The Covid pandemic with its worldwide lockdown and strict restrictions required an agile approach to construction site assembly in Cadiz and commissioning in Tangier. With local support, Mammoet staff and experienced Liebherr engineers, the project was able to continue with minimal interruption. The cranes increase to twelve, the number of Liebherr STS cranes in Morocco, with 4 cranes already in use in Casablanca.
Gerry Bunyan, Global Sales and Marketing Manager at Liebherr Container Cranes, said: “The handover of these cranes to Tanger Alliance is a key moment for the port. The Tanger Alliance’s investment in Liebherr STS cranes is rewarded with industry-leading productivity, low operating costs and the knowledge that the cranes are available when needed to serve many years on the world’s largest ships. We look forward to the Tanger Alliance maximizing crane potential. “
The Tanger Alliance container terminal is a global transshipment point and gateway for direct import and export volumes. With a quay length of 800 m, a terminal area of 360,000 m², a water depth of 18 m and a handling capacity of 1.5 million. 7 operations throughout the year. Tanger Alliance is a partnership consisting of Marsa Moroc, Eurogate & Contship Italia and Hapag-Lloyd.
