Greenock officially unveils new STS cranes

The new infrastructure is expected to meet rising demand from cargo owners and bolster transatlantic trade, while also future-proofing the Peel Ports-owned port.

The cranes, which arrived in June and became operational in July, are already making an impact with one vessel departing 13 hours ahead of schedule owing to improved turnaround times.

“We believe the new cranes will be transformational for our port, and it’s incredible the impact they are having already,” said Jim McSporran, port director at Peel Ports Clydeport.

“It’s clear to the human eye how much quicker they are, and we’ve had a great response from customers and our teams on the efficiencies they’re bringing. With so much pressure on supply chains, it’s invaluable for our customers to know our operations are even faster now.”

This investment follows the opening of a £20 million cruise ship visitor centre at the nearby Greenock Ocean Terminal last year.

The advanced capabilities of the 72m cranes have been pivotal in securing new shipping routes, including a weekly deep-sea container service linking Scotland to Turkey’s Mediterranean market.

To engage the local community, Peel Ports Clydeport, in collaboration with Inverclyde Council, launched a naming competition for the cranes. Winning entries included ‘Craner Swift’, after Taylor Swift, and ‘U-Crane Bolt’, after Olympic gold-winning sprinter, Usain Bolt.