South Pacific International Container Terminal (SPICT), operated by a subsidiary of port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) in Lae, Papua New Guinea (PNG), recently took delivery of three new hybrid rubber-tired gantries (RTGs) ahead of schedule.
The equipment is part of ICTSI’s ongoing program to strengthen and enhance overall operational efficiency at the PNG container terminal, the port operator said in a statement.
The investment of over PGK15.6 million (P244.1 million) places SPICT ahead of its 2022 commitments and 50% above the initial agreed outlay on operational efficiency improvements, ICTSI noted.
With a lifting capacity of 41 tons, the RTGs, which run on both diesel and electric power, are expected to be deployed operationally this month. The 16-wheel cable reel RTGs can stack one over five containers high and six containers wide, including truck roadway.
The RTGs have a number of safety and productivity-enhancing features such as active load control, which prevents load sway and provides micro-motions in both trolley and gantry directions; auto-steering with container positioning interfaced to the terminal operating system; stack collision prevention; a truck guiding system; and a truck trailer anti-lifting system.
Once the commissioning is complete, the RTGs will be automation-ready.
ICTSI South Pacific Limited, the wholly owned subsidiary of ICTSI in PNG that operates SPICT, has invested in three mobile harbor cranes for its Lae terminal. In line with this, it has sent six Papua New Guinean crane operators, three of them women, to ICTSI’s Manila flagship, where they are currently training as part of efforts to further enhance the performance of equipment operators.
“We are very proud of this order. It is the result of our commitment to innovation and proven performance around the world, and it will further strengthen our presence in Papua New Guinea,” ICTSI South Pacific chief executive officer Anil Singh said.
“Technology is a central part of our terminal operations, and investment is being placed in training to grow competency and skills because it is people who drive the technology,” Singh added.
In September 2017, ICTSI, through ICTSI South Pacific, signed a 25-year terminal operations agreement with state-owned PNG Ports Corporation Limited for the Port of Lae. SPICT’s contract specifically covers the port operations and facilities at the South Pacific International Container Terminal.
Aside from SPICT, ICTSI South Pacific also operates the Motukea International Terminal in Port Moresby, PNG.
