San Antonio Terminal Internacional (STI), located at the Port of San Antonio in central Chile, is undertaking a large-scale equipment upgrade programme.
The terminal operating company, a joint venture between SAAM Puertos S.A and SSA Marine (SSA), has commenced taking delivery of 19 Konecranes Liftace reachstackers and one Konecranes Liftace empty container handler, while also announcing a forthcoming delivery of two new Super Post Panamax Ship-To-Shore (STS) cranes and two electric Rubber- Tyred Gantries (RTGs).
The first delivery of six reachstacker units was completed in July 2022, the second is expected before the end of 2022, with a third batch scheduled for early 2023.
Each of the 19 reachstackers is a Konecranes Liftace 4532 TCE 5, featuring a strong box-type frame and a wide drive axle with a long wheelbase, with the empty container handler a Konecranes Liftace 6/7 ECC 9 unit that can lift up to nine tons.
All hoists are equipped with a HLL (Hydraulic Long-Life) fine filtration system, which extends the oil change interval up to 12,000 hours, saving time and costs due to fewer oil changes.
Konecranes confirms that an AR (augmented reality) 3D sensor and a 2D camera with on-screen alerts provide wider visibility on all machines.
With the additional units, STI will be operating eight STS and eight RTG cranes. All equipment is currently en route from Changxing Island, China, with operations expected to commence before the end of January 2023.
The new machinery is expected to reach Chile by the end of December 2022 and slated to become operational by the end of January 2023, taking the terminal’s annual capacity to 1.6 million TEU.
The new cranes are part of commitments agreed by STI with Empresa Portuaria de San Antonio to extend the terminal’s concession to 2030 and represent ongoing investment upgrades totalling US$66 million.
