Fifteen of the cranes ordered are cable reel RTGs, the rest are regular RTGs. The cranes will be delivered to two terminals in Russia and one in Ukraine. The first cranes will be delivered in the spring 2009.

“The ordered equipment will increase throughput capacity at NCC’s terminals and improve productivity,” Konecranes said.

Eleven cable reel RTGs will be supplied to the terminal in Ust-Luga, 150km west of St Petersburg, on the Baltic Sea. Four cable reel RTGs will be delivered to the NUTEP terminal in Novorossiysk on the Black Sea. The last four RTGs will be delivered to Ukrtranscontainer in Illichivsk in Ukraine.

“This is an important breakthrough for the environmental-friendly cable reel technology in the Baltic area,” said Aku Lehtinen, director, RTG cranes at Konecranes. “The market is showing increasing interest in environmental friendly solutions.”

NCC plans to purchase altogether 50 cranes of this standard. “At our terminals we arrange operations by means of RTG cranes, most of which are produced by Konecranes. Six cranes have already been working at UTC, 14 more were ordered in September 2008 for FCT and Shushary terminal,” said Evgeny Yuzhilin, NCC vice-president on technology and terminal construction.