Salalah Port completes expansion plan: Oman’s Salalah Port has expanded its container handling capacity from 5 mn TEUs to 6 mn TEUs annually by purchasing 10 new high capacity ZPC ship-to-shore cranes at an investment ticket of USD 300 mn, COO Scott Salman told ONA in an interview.
There’s more: Expansion plans at the port included upgrading the current four berths to support the new cranes and an additional two berths are under construction and scheduled for operation in 1Q 2025, Salman added.
About the new equipment: The electric cranes at the port can handle cargo from ships with a depth of 26 containers and a lift height of 58 meters, according to the news outlet. The crane height is 77 meters and the maximum capacity is 105 tonnes, allowing for handling Ultra Large Container Vessels, the largest container vessels in operation. The expansion also includes 12 hybrid rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes, two reach stackers, empty container handles,and 30 trucks and trainers. The number of cranes at the port will increase from 21 to 27 by the end of this year.
Power upgrades on deck: The port also upgraded its electricity network to include a high-capacity substation, high-voltage feeder lines to support additional power needs and the use of renewable energy. The ports aims to achieve netzero carbon emissions by 2040.
Salalah Port has been on a roll: The port saw a 12% y-o-y increase in general cargo volumes, reaching 20.6 mn tonnes, in 2023.
Background: Upgrades at the port are being implemented by APM Terminals’ project execution, asset engineering, and terminals crane and engineering services divisions. APM Terminals previously delivered phase two of expansions at Morocco’s Tangier MedPort in December last year.