Omani port expansion on track

The US$300 million upgrade will see annual container handling capacity grow from five million to six million teu by the end of the year.

As part of the upgrade, the port took delivery in February of the first of four new ship-to-shore cranes. The two cranes are slated to begin operation by August and will be joined by two more cranes currently in commission.

Four smaller cranes have been retired, bringing the port’s crane count from 21 to 27 at the end of the year.

“We expect these cranes to help us reduce port stay even further by giving us faster access to top tiers on the ship,” explained Scott Selman, chief operations officer at Port of Salalah.

“They will also increase our capacity to bring in the world’s largest ships built to date – fulfilling a need for our customers and giving us an opportunity to handle more volume.”

The new fully electric cranes are reportedly among the world’s largest of their kind, setting new benchmarks for size and efficiency. They can handle vessels 26 containers deep, with a lifting height of 58 metres above the rail and a total hoist height of 77 metres (including below the rail).

With a maximum lifting capability of 105 tonnes, they can serve the biggest ultra large container vessels in use today.

Additional equipment to support the expansion includes 12 hybrid rubber-tyred gantry cranes, two reach stackers, six empty handlers, and 30 terminal trucks and trailers.