DP World Southampton has strengthened its straddle carrier fleet by taking delivery of six brand new Kalmar machines worth over £3.6million.
The straddle carriers arrived fully assembled onboard the ro-ro vessel MV Meri direct from the manufacturing plant in Gdynia, Poland.
The straddle carriers arrived just as work is finishing on the new deep sea container berth at the terminal which is part of a £150m investment project by Associated British Ports to prepare the port of Southampton for the next generation of ultra large container vessels.
The straddle carriers are three high diesel electric machines with twin lift capability, which will provide the terminal with the advantage of having more machines that are able to undertake twin discharge from beneath the terminal’s cranes.
Chris Lewis, Managing Director, DP World Southampton, said: “We are committed to investing in our infrastructure and operational capabilities to ensure that Southampton can continue to meet the needs of our customers now and in the future.
“With the new berth that ABP is building, which will open very soon, and this investment by DP World Southampton in our straddle carrier fleet, Southampton is determined to continue to build on its reputation as the most productive terminal in the UK.”
At the same time, work has begun to deepen the main Southampton approach channel which links the port to the English Channel.
The dredging works will provide access for the deepest and largest vessels afloat to call at the port, including the new 18,000 teu container vessels that are currently coming into service.
This means that from the end of the year, Southampton will offer better accessibility for deep drafted vessels and can compete in every aspect with other ports in the UK and Northern Europe.
Now the new straddle carriers are on site, there will be some necessary performance testing to carry out as well as some additional installation work before the new machines can enter operational service.
