The world’s largest hydraulic crane has arrived at the Port of Immingham direct from the Mantsinen factory in Finland in a £3m investment by Associated British Ports. It was supplied by Cooper Specialised Handling Ltd, the UK’s leading independent port equipment supplier.
Simon Bird, Regional Director for ABP Humber said: “The arrival of the Mantsinen crane marks another significant milestone in ABP’s ongoing investment programme to enhance and expand our offer. Across the Humber Ports we are investing around £32 million in cranes as part of a five-year programme to ensure we offer have the right equipment and infrastructure to support our customers and bring growth to the area.”
A team from the Port of Immingham consisting of operations and engineers visited the Mantsinen factory in Finland last month to check on its build progress. It also gave them an opportunity to test the new crane simulator and see how it handles. Port operatives will now be trained in how to use the new model before it becomes operational.
Launched in 2018, these super-sized machines now have the reach and capacity to serve Panamax size vessels and can handle as much as 1500 tonnes per hour – far greater than the rope crane equivalents.
It also has sustainable technology in the Hybrilift energy storage and recovery system, which increases energy efficiency by up to 50%.
The machine weighs in at 365 tonnes (without attachment) and is diesel powered by an EU stage 5 Volvo 16 litre diesel engine, which offers high performance but low fuel consumption and durability. ABP have opted for an 18.5m curved boom and 14m stick and the machine has a wheeled undercarriage of six axles with four wheels per axle, which provides for greater mobility, especially on uneven ground.
The machine has come supplied with Mantsinen’s cab riser to enable the operator to position the cab in the optimum position over the hold to gain a direct line of sight. Supplied with a range of automatic and semi-automatic attachments, this reduces the need for direct labour in the holds thus enhancing safety further than if stevedores were slinging.
