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Terminal operator gets three mobile cranes 

By Moses Ebosele
27 January 2015   |   11:00 pm
ONE of the nation’s terminal operators, APM Terminals Apapa has added three new Mobile Harbour cranes to its operation.  The cranes, according to the company were acquired to complement existing equipment to boost service delivery at the terminal. Speaking during the commissioning of the three new cranes acquired at a total cost of 10 million…

Dawes 28-1-15

ONE of the nation’s terminal operators, APM Terminals Apapa has added three new Mobile Harbour cranes to its operation. 

The cranes, according to the company were acquired to complement existing equipment to boost service delivery at the terminal.

Speaking during the commissioning of the three new cranes acquired at a total cost of 10 million Euros, Managing Director, APM Terminals Apapa,  Andrew Dawes said the cranes were acquired to expand the terminal’s fleet and offer better service as its business expands.

He said the cranes were bought from Liebherr and made in Rostock, Germany.

Dawes said: “We invested 10 million Euros in purchasing these new cranes. The amount includes spares and training. The aim is to make our terminal more efficient and offer better service to Nigerian importers.” 

He said a noteworthy feature of the new cranes is the “soft touch” function that allows drivers to load and offload containers “softly” to prevent damage to equipment, vehicles and make the working environment safer for staff.

He said APM Terminals Apapa also takes pride in developing its Nigerian employees to operate all equipment types.

Explaining further, Dawes said :“We deploy APM Terminals’ globally defined and internationally accredited training course ‘ReQuip’ in training equipment operators.

“This course creates a standard consistent approach to train staff. Our terminal employs four ReQuip certified trainers who are multi-skilled on different equipment types including Mobile Harbour Cranes,” he said.

One of the operators, Victor Enegide, while commending the company  for investing in the new cranes said: “As an improvement on the previous versions of the cranes, this set of new cranes have better lighting system that makes it convenient to work at night.” 

Another operator, Sule Olanrewaju said: “Container handling has been made a lot easier now as these set of cranes are fitted with better flipper controls and introduction of the push buttons.”

APM Terminals Apapa started operation in 2006 with a lease of 25 years.

With 55 hectares of land, the terminal is the largest container terminal in West Africa. It employs 989 full time employees and another 1,211 contractors and sub-contractors.

In 2014, APM Terminals Apapa handled 650,000 TEUs, which represents 53% of containerized cargo imports through Lagos.

The terminal currently services 10 shipping lines and thousands of importers.

Since the start of the concession in 2006, APM Terminals has spent $335million on equipment, paving, buildings, training and information technology to facilitate trade in Nigeria.

The terminal currently operates with 22 Rubber Tyre Gantry cranes (RTGs), 11 Mobile Harbor Cranes, 10 Reach Stackers, 10 Empty Handlers and 75 Terminal Trucks, among others.

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