30.08.2006

First harbour pontoon crane for Gottwald

Gottwald Port Technology has recently installed a G HPK 8200B harbour pontoon crane - its first Generation 5 floating crane. Suitable for mid-stream as well as quayside handling, the unit was ordered by Dutch Stuwer Crane Support.

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Gottwald's first Generation 5 floating crane -G HPK8200B

For the last month or so the unit has been operated by Stuwer's subsidiary company - Rietlanden Stevedores - which predominantly handles coal on the Noorderbuitenkanaal near Ljmuiden and in the Port of Amsterdam.

Gottwald's Generation 5 harbour cranes were launched in March this year offering pontoon (floating), mobile (rubber tyred chassis) and portal (rail mounted) cranes. Four units have so far been installed in Italy and Belgium.

Gottwald's first floating crane - the HPK 330EG - was launched on the Mississippi River in 2004. The total number of floating cranes installed or on order has now reached seven including the latest HPK8200B in Amsterdam.

Fitted with a four-rope grab, the unit has a 50 tonne grab curve and hoisting speedes up to 140 metres per min. The unit is suitable for continuous bulk operation duty.

Rietlanden Stevedores currently have two terminal locations and this will increase to three in the near future. In the Port of Amsterdam it handles 6 million tonnes of bulk materials per year -about 90 percent being imported coal. About 40 percent of the total is handled directly from vessels into barges.