The second of two new £25m ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, each of 932 tonnes arrived at the Port of Greenock, where it was unloaded yesterday after having been transported from Cork Harbour.
Following a naming competition with local schoolkids, the cranes will be named 'Craner Swift' in tribute to Taylor Swift and 'U-Crane Bolt' after the Jamaican Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt.
The 72m tall cranes were manufactured by Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd as Afloat previously reported at their plant in Fossa near Killarney in Co. Kerry.
The cranes were taken to the Doyle Shipping Group’s site at Rushbrooke (near Cobh) where they were assembled before loading on board the heavy-lift vessel, Jumbo Jubilee, which was also tasked with the delivery of the first crane.
In a major boost to productivity for the port, the cranes will help accommodate increased demand from cargo owners and support growth in transatlantic trade, as well as future proofing the port.
Port operator Peel Ports Clydeport spent £25m on the two cranes, the largest single investment made at the container terminal, less than a year after a new £20 million cruise ship visitor centre opened at the neighbouring Greenock Ocean Terminal.
The cranes’ capabilities have already been key in securing new routes, including a new weekly deep sea container service connecting Scotland to the Mediterranean market in Turkey.
