Australian First for P&O as Giant Post-Panamax Cranes Arrive in Brisbane

18 February 2005

P&O Ports will today take delivery of one of three $10million, state-of-the-art Post-Panamax container cranes due to arrive at the Port of Brisbane aboard the Zhenhua 5 at 12.00pm.

The enormous container cranes will be the first of their kind in Australia and have been specifically designed to cater for the larger ships and cargoes that are becoming an increasingly common feature of the Australian market.

P&O Ports Managing Director, Tim Blood, said the new Post-Panamax cranes were the first stage in an investment program that expects to see a further 12 cranes delivered to P&O’s terminals in the four principal container ports over the next five years. This investment is in direct response to continuing growth in demand and increase in the incident of 4,000 teu ships and larger ships that may follow.

“The introduction of these larger ships needs to be matched by port investment in new and larger cranes that will see a continuation in improvements to terminal productivity and overall efficiency to the ultimate benefit of importers and exports,” Mr. Blood said.

“Over the past decade P&O Ports has invested more than $500 million in the four Australian capital-city container ports, and we expect to invest at least an equivalent amount over the next decade, with $80 million planned over the next twelve months”.

Port of Brisbane Corporation Chief Executive Officer Jeff Coleman said the deep-water access available at the Port of Brisbane combined with its capacity for growth ensured it was well-positioned to service the increasing size of vessels and cargo volumes well into the future.

“In the coming months we will be working closely with P&O Ports to relocate its Hamilton-based motor-vehicle and general-cargo stevedoring operations to the Port of Brisbane,” Mr Coleman said.

Once the first of the Post-Panamax cranes has been unloaded at the Port of Brisbane, the Zhenhua 5 will continue to P&O’s terminals at Port Botany in Sydney and West Swanson in Melbourne.

The cranes have been built by Zhenhua Port Machine Company (ZPMC). Each extends 35.5m above the ship’s deck and has a reach of 42m which allows it to span the increased width of Post-Panamax vessels.