APMT Pecém terminal will receive four large pieces of equipment in the coming months, ready for operation for the 2022 harvest.
Three RTGs, cranes for container operation in the yard, and an STS crane, for ship operation, were acquired. The investment will amount to BRL 150 million ($28.5 million).
Daniel Rose, Managing Director of APM Terminals Pecém (Brazil) said: “We have always strongly believed in the potential of the Northeast and we want to be ready to accompany the growth of the coming years, serving our customers in the best way.”
Pecém is one of the main outlets for fruit production in the country and registers growth rates in all directions. In 2020, amid the pandemic, it grew 9.6 per cent compared to 2019.
In 2021, until November, it had already registered a movement of 384,000 TEU, 10 per cent more than in the same period of 2020. For 2022, the numbers are expected to reach 470,000 TEU.
Currently, the terminal already has two ship-to-shore (STS) cranes in operation and the arrival of the third equipment will increase the terminal’s productivity and facilitate the operation of two ships simultaneously.
The STS crane is in the production phase in China and will have the capacity to operate ships of up to 22 rows. The expected arrival date is the beginning of the second half of 2022.
The rubber tyred gantry cranes (RTG) acquired are new factory models and will be the first equipment of this type to operate in Pecém.
Currently, the handling of containers in the yard is done using Reach Stackers, which will be partially replaced by new cranes. There are several advantages of operating with RTGs, such as productivity gains, since the cranes move over the container stacks, facilitating access to containers positioned in the middle of the blocks, reducing movements and improving internal logistics of the terminal. In addition, the models purchased for Pecém are electrified and do not use diesel fuel. As a result, the operation becomes cleaner and more sustainable, with a reduction in CO2 emissions.
November, four more trucks were added to the fleet of terminal tractors. Various works are also being carried out to improve IT infrastructure, lighting, paving and a new operations office.
Herllon Rosdeutscher, Operations Manager, added: “With the new equipment, we will see an increase in productivity and equipment reliability, which is important for us to continue improving the service we offer to our customers.”
In the area of security, with an investment of more than BRL 2.5 million, a second scanner for container inspections was purchased, which should start operating soon, adding up to total investments exceeding R$ 250 million over the last 10 years at APM Terminals Pecém.
