Located in the Port of Gioia Tauro, in southern Italy, MCT is a megaport capable of handling the largest ships deployed on the Asian and Mediterranean routes. The terminal has handled more than 56 million TEUs since its opening in September 1995.
Most recently, Kalmar supplied 12 diesel-electric straddle carriers to MCT, with delivery of the machines expected to be completed during Q1 2022.
Here, Camilo Torres, sales director, South Europe, Kalmar Automation Solutions, based in Madrid, Spain, talks to Dockside Lift & Move (DLM) TV, in association with Hoist magazine, about the project as well as how it is continuously improving the flexibility of its machines by designing a stronger frame, enhanced safety aspects and improvements to the ergonomic cabin with intuitive user operations.
“Running costs and operations at the MCT terminal have been increasing year on year as the port receives ultra large container vessels, increasing the number of operations per vessel, and it’s a challenge,” said Torres.
“It’s difficult to get the right support at the right time and that’s where we come in, training the local staff on how to maintain and keep the machines running and supporting the technicians to avoid any kind of delays and reduce downtime on operations.
“The challenge now is on how to move forward in new technologies in isolated ports and how to reduce carbon emissions and analyse the business case concerning payback time (Return on Investment) on the machines in four to five years, also how to constantly improve operations, for a more effective workflow from quayside to landside, looking at digital tools for preventive maintenance.”
Speaking about its long-lasting relationship with MCT and the delivery of its 200th straddle carrier last year, Antonio Davide Testi, CEO, MCT, said at the time; the terminal “has relied heavily on Kalmar technology from day one of operations and the vast majority of our straddle carriers are from Kalmar, so we are pleased to continue this successful association. Kalmar machines are known for their excellent reliability and flexibility, as well as strong local maintenance support.”