Hutchison Ports Pakistan explains its approach to investment

LAHORE: Hutchison Ports Pakistan is the first container terminal in Pakistan to introduce remote-controlled cranes for its operations with an investment of $235 million.

“We are running our quayside operations fully through a remote operating station. The cumulative cost of yard and berth cranes is USD 235 million, environmentally friendly cranes,” stated CS Kim, General Manager & Head of Business Unit, Hutchison Ports Pakistan, while talking to a group of journalists.

He added that they have procured 31 conventional RTGCs (hybrid and electric) and 22 remote-controlled RTGS. “This technological advancement has improved the port’s efficiency as our QCs can handle 25 moves per hour and have achieved the record of 44 moves per hour.” said Muhammad Hamza Masood, Senior Operations Manager, Hutchison Ports Pakistan. He added that they have 14 Quay Cranes on site with the ability to lift a container with a weight under a spreader of up to 65 tons to enable safe operations on vessels up to 26 rows wide.

Hamza further said that with the aid of HD cameras, automation technologies with advanced terminal operating system – nGen, our operators can sit comfortably in an office environment while achieving remarkable quayside productivity.

“Automated systems reduce the likelihood of errors, enhance the accuracy of container placement, and contribute to faster vessel turnaround times by quickly unloading and loading containers, minimizing the time ships spend at the port, he said, adding: “The ability to handle larger vessels and multiple containers at once increases the overall capacity of the port.”

Talking about Automated Rubber-Tyred Gantry Cranes (ARTGC), he said they are used for high-tech remote operations for stacking containers and both Quay Cranes and ARTG systems contribute to operational efficiency and safety by automating and streamlining container handling processes, reducing turnaround times, minimizing errors, and incorporating advanced safety features.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024