Future-ready cranes lift off at Hutch

TWO new cranes at Hutchison Ports were cause for celebration this week, as representatives from shipping lines and other industry guests gathered at the Port Botany terminal to mark the first lift.  

Custom designed for Hutchinson's Sydney terminal (due to its proximity to the airport) the planning, approval and delivery of the cranes has taken close to two years, with project leader Simon Guan, engineering manager Hutchison Brisbane, spending around 18-months coordinating the project. Much of this was spent in China working through the engineering details with manufacturer ZPMC. 

To mark the occasion, Hutchison Ports hosted a morning tea, with CEO John Willy welcoming guests and explaining the journey behind the cranes, and some of the features and benefits they deliver. 

With regenerative braking, mounts for future solar panels and the ability to stack containers up to 10 high, Mr Willy said the cranes have features that promise smoother, more efficient operations and greater capacity as the port grows. They are also sustainable, and capable of further advancement as future requirements at the port grow and change.

Key features include: 

• 1,800-tonne cranes, custom-built for the terminal 

• The reach and lifting capacity to handle ships of up to 15,000 TEUs 

• Siemens S7 control systems, allowing multiple movements at once 

• Regenerative braking that returns power to the crane as it slows 

• Mounts ready for future solar panels 

Perhaps most appealingly though, at least to those who operate them, are the drivers’ seats, which are said to be as comfortable 'as a Ferrari'.  

Currently the cranes, weighing just under 2,000 tonnes each, are still being used solely in training, with around 30% of the drivers trained, and the intention that every driver be trained by the end of November. Praising the capabilities of the cranes, Mr Willy said "They lift more, they reach further and(...) they are ready for the future" 

Collaboration, partnership and cooperation were strong themes in the speeches. Mr Willy emphasised that customer support had helped make the investment possible. Echoing this sentiment, chief executive of NSW Ports, Marika Calfas, also spoke to guests praising the teamwork between the port, the landside and infrastructure providers and other key stakeholders.

Ms Calfas also congratulated Hutchison’s move in sourcing 100% renewable electricity for its Port Botany operations, and iterated how such steady progressive decisions contribute to overall sustainability goals - of particular importance, she said, for a city port.  

Ms Calfas also commended Mr Willy on his commitment to install further new cranes, allowing the port to "grow in line with the trade needs of the state and community".

Following the speeches, a business card draw determined which of the shipping lines present would have the honour of seeing their container on the first lift – the winner being OOCL – before guests proceeded to the  balcony to watch the lift taking place. 

The celebration wrapped up, as all good celebrations do, with a bespoke chocolate cake complete with an image of the cranes - which was cut by Simon Guan.