Konecranes enhances Asian presence with Vietnamese orders

The new Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) selects Konecranes port equipment to cope with the country's rising export demand

Konecranes, the Finnish crane manufacturer, has received a number of orders for its container handling equipment from the new Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT), located in the Ba Ria - Vung Tau province of Vietnam.

With 15,000 TEU capacity vessels now plying their trade on Vietnam’s trade routes, demand for spacious terminals, large ship-to-shore cranes and container handling technology is on the rise.

This natural deepwater port, 50 kilometers downriver from Ho Chi Minh City, therefore selected Konecranes' container handling equipment to move cargo about the port.

Orders in 2011 include two laden reach stackers, one empty reach stacker, two empty container handlers, and one 25-ton forklift, all supplied in 2011.

“Our operators and technical staff received a lot of training on the container movers as part of the Konecranes' supply contract,” said Head of Technical Operations at CMIT, Maurizio D'Orfeo.

“Their trainers came from regional, Vietnam and European offices. In future, if there are any issues, we can know we can reach a person in either region.

“We also chose Konecranes as a supplier because they set up an office here in Vietnam. That was a further factor in our decision.”

As CMIT expands, taking up the full 600 metres of quayside available, more lift trucks and other handling equipment will be needed. CMIT has already hosted the largest container vessel ever to dock in Vietnam. The CMA CGM Columba, with 131,263 DWT and a capacity of 11,388 TEU, tied up at CMIT on March 30, 2011.

At full capacity, Cai Mep International Terminal will be able to handle 1.1 million TEU annually, including 840 refrigerated containers. The port already has major customers, CMA CGM,the Grand Alliance of NYK, OOCL, and Hapag-Lloyd, and Maersk Line.  CMIT, a joint venture between APM Terminals, Saigon Port and Vietnam National Shipping Lines, has quay cranes at 42 metres high and 22 rows across, giving it the capacity to handle vessels with a capacity of up to 15,000 TEU.