The ECT Euromax terminal, part of the Hutchison Ports group, located at the northwestern tip of the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, is in the process of preparing to receive ten new cranes in mid-April. The equipment, supplied by Chinese manufacturer ZPMC, includes two ship-to-shore cranes (STS) and eight automated stacking cranes (ASC), which are currently in transit from China aboard two different vessels.
The STS cranes are traveling aboard the heavy lift vessel Zhen Hua 31, owned by ZPMC, while the ASCs are being transported on the deck ship Fu Zhou Guo Ji, which also carries RTG cranes destined for PSA Italy. According to available information, ZPMC plans to deliver six RTGs to the PSA terminal in Genoa Pra’, including two hybrid units, also in April of this year.
ECT Euromax has confirmed that the preparatory work for the installation and commissioning of the new cranes is already underway. The terminal, designed to operate with the largest container ships in the world, features semi-automatic STS cranes equipped with a second trolley. The transfer of containers between the wharf and the stacking area is carried out using automated guided vehicles (AGVs), while the stacking operations are handled by automated rail-mounted gantry cranes (ARMGs).
As part of its decarbonization strategy, ECT Euromax has commissioned Konecranes to supply 42 lithium-ion AGVs along with automatic charging stations with fast charging capability. Once delivered, these vehicles will operate alongside the existing fleet of 96 diesel-electric AGVs, also supplied by Konecranes under a contract signed in 2005.
In parallel with the equipment expansion, the terminal is undergoing a migration to a new Terminal Operating System (TOS). In an update published on February 18, ECT Euromax stated that it has been in this transition for four weeks, with a gradual evolution of operations, although challenges persist. Productivity in handling large vessels on the maritime side continues to fall short of targets, with some disruptions attributed to suppliers. Land operations have also been affected, with delays in road transport and intermittent issues at truck access points. Inland transport via barges and rail is generally proceeding as planned, although barge productivity has been impacted by incidents on the maritime front. The terminal expects improvements in the coming weeks.