Kalmar lifts efficiency at major Chilean hub by heightening 12 RTGs
We were very pleased both with the short time it took to complete the previous project and the resulting uplift in capacity, and that is why we decided to continue with the heightening of ten more RTGs. Nicole Jaramillo, TPS Reliability Engineer
The solution
Container terminals
Major heightening upgrade for 12 Kalmar RTGs contributes to annual capacity increase of 60,000 TEU at one of Chile’s busiest terminals.
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Name: |
Terminal Pacifico Sur Valparaíso S.A. (TPS) |
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Location: |
Valparaiso, Region V, Chile |
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Volume: |
911,000 TEU |
Reaching higher at the Port of Valparaiso
The challenge
The Port of Valparaíso, one of the busiest in Chile, handled 911,000 TEU in 2013. Since 2000, the bulk of the port’s throughput has been handled by Terminal Pacifico Sur Valparaíso (TPS). TPS has invested heavily over the last decade to boost capacity and efficiency to meet a significant increase in demand, enable the terminal to handle larger vessels and remain competitive. The port’s proximity to the city leaves limited space for expansion.
The solution
As well as extending the docking area to 740 metres to allow the terminal to handle up to two Post-Panamax vessels simultaneously, TPS decided to heighten its 12 Kalmar RTG cranes by 2.9 metres, raising the stacking capacity from five containers to six. The heightening increased storage capacity by 20 percent without increasing the crane footprint. After the successful heightening of the first two cranes, TPS decided to heighten the remaining ten.
The results
The expansion and heightening projects will allow TPS to handle an additional 60,000 TEU annually from 2015. To handle the increased structural weight, Kalmar’s engineers advised using larger tyres to improve crane stability. “The operators are very happy with the new machines. The greater height has not affected productivity,” says TPS Reliability Engineer Nicole Jaramillo. “In fact, by some measurements they are operating faster,” she says.
