The vessel arrived at the 170m wharf expansion on 22 January 2013 and is delivering the port’s new Liebherr ship-to-shore Super Post Panamax container crane, the sixth gantry crane for the terminal.
The new crane will be erected over the next 8 to 10 weeks and is expected to be commissioned early April. A further six new straddle carriers have also arrived at the port, increasing its total fleet to 36.
Mark Cairns, chief executive, Port of Tauranga, said: “Since the middle of last year, we have secured seven new shipping services, which will underpin the growth in container volumes into the future.”
He added: “It is vital to us that we maintain and enhance our customer service and productivity, and we need to invest in the equipment and people required to do that.”
The extension, which is due for completion at the end of March 2013, is part of the port’s NZ$180m capital development to increase the length of continuous quay at Sulphur Point to 700m. This will enable the container terminal to handle larger vessels and give it more capacity.