ABP South Wales invests £2.8m in crane refurbishment project
ABP South Wales has invested over £2.8 million into the refurbishment of five cranes across its ports of Newport and Swansea to improve operational efficiency and extend the lifespan of the cranes.
The quayside cranes are able to handle a wide range of cargo such as coal, aggregates, forest products, and steel. The refurbishment will allow for increased handling efficiency at the ports when loading and discharging vessels.
The refurbishment work encompassed an extensive upgrade of major mechanical components such as slew and hoist equipment, motor drives, control panels, and the installation of energy efficient LED lighting. The cranes were also completely descaled and both external and internal surfaces were then repainted.
Three of the upgraded cranes are located at Newport and two at Swansea. The five cranes were nearing the end of their operational life but this renovation has extended their lifespan by ten years.
Robert Gray, Engineering Manager, ABP South Wales, said: “We are committed to providing effective infrastructure and equipment across our ports to ensure the needs of our customers are met. The refurbishment of these cranes was a large project that represents significant investment by ABP South Wales, and will deliver clear benefits to the ports of Swansea and Newport over the next ten years.”
The project took 14 months to compete and work was carried out by Port Talbot based engineering company, Celtic Engineering.
At Swansea the upgraded cranes will be complemented by a new Mantsinen Hydraulic Crane that is due to arrive at the port in mid-December 2016. ABP has purchased the crane from Cooper Specialised Handling as part of a £6 million deal that will see five new cranes delivered across ABP’s UK-wide network of 21 ports.
