The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Multi-million-pound crane investment to support growth at Grangemouth
New kit will increase capability at Scotland’s largest cargo handling site
A multi-million-pound investment has been signed off to improve cargo handling operations at the Port of Grangemouth.
The site – Scotland’s largest container handling facility – is set to be bolstered by the addition of a new Liebherr ship-to-shore container crane.
The new piece of kit – which is expected to be operational by the autumn of next year – will have the capacity to handle vessels with 14 containers stowed across its deck.
New storage and handling capacity is also being added on the quayside.
The new crane is also future proofed to enable taller straddle carriers to work underneath the crane legs.
“We handle some of Scotland’s most valuable exports, such as fine foods and drinks, so it is important that we deliver fast turnaround times to maintain the vessel schedules and ensure their reliability to service the Scottish export market,” Derek Knox, Grangemouth Port Manager, said.
“Our new crane will ensure that we have a single fleet of ship-to-shore cranes provided by Liebherr which provide consistency for the operations and engineering team.
“We are looking forward to receiving the crane next year.”
Gerry Bunyan of Liebherr Container Cranes said: “We are delighted to have secured the order for this additional ship-to-shore crane and to be part of Port of Grangemouth’s further development and growth plans.”
A total of more than £6 billion worth of goods passes through Grangemouth each year including steel plate, timber, paper and equipment for the oil and gas industry.
The container terminal has been operating for more than half a century.