Porto Itapoá in Brazil will be the first port in South America to use remote-controlled rubber tyred gantry cranes (RTGs).
The Brazilian container port bought ten machines, at a cost of more than US$25 million, to improve the terminal’s operational speed.
According to the port, the first cranes will arrive in May, with the second wave arriving in November of 2023.
The latest RTGs have the ability to arrange up to six containers, while this hybrid machinery uses three times as much gasoline as a traditional diesel-powered RTG.
Furthermore, Itapoá spent US$11 million for a quay crane with a 70-meter boom, a piece of equipment that moves boxes between the dock and the vessel. Currently, there are six of them at the harbour, four with 55-meter booms and two with 65-meter booms.
“We are already training the operators who will work on these machines and preparing the room where they will work,” stated Sergni Pessoa Rosa Jr, director of Port Operations, Technology, and Environment at Porto Itapoá.
He added, “The technology will also increase greater safety and ergonomics for terminal employees.”
