Uruguayan company Corporación Navios has invested in the increase of terminal’s handling rates with the installation of a type FCC 300 Liebherr harbour crane. The permanently installed unit replaces a long duty cycle crane. The new unit will be used for dry bulk handling of barges in hoppers at the terminal in Nueva Palmira, Uruguay.

The Liebherr products are used to handle bulk cargo on the narrow pier. Over the past six years, between 600 and 700 tonnes of iron were handled per hour throughout this time. They were supported by a Liebherr HS 871 HD long duty cycle crane, which is now being replaced by a FCC 300, the third of its kind at the terminal.

„With the investment in another FCC 300, we are taking a decisive step towards higher turnover rates“, says Rosina Lurato, project and certification manager of Corporación Navios, “we handle around five million tonnes of dry cargo per year and need fast as well as reliable equipment. Based on our positive experience with the two permanently installed cargo cranes, it was quickly clear to us that another crane of the same type was the right choice.” About half of the five million tonnes are exported from Uruguay, the other half is imported dry cargo from other countries.

In addition, to the space-saving design, the higher handling capacity was also a decisive feature for choosing the third permanently installed harbour crane. With the two FCCs already in place, the crane operators now always work with the same type of equipment. This increases safety during operations and facilitates routine operation, Liebherr noted in its statement.