Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT), the newest container facility at Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP), is expanding its capacity with batch of the industry’s most advanced ship-to-shore container cranes and advanced tandem lift gantry cranes (RTGs).

Two Quay cranes capable of stacking containers 24 across on vessel, along with six RTGs manufactured by Zhenhua Port Machinery Company (ZPMC), featuring the latest technology, such as crane monitoring systems (CMS), single and twin lifts berthed safely at terminal on the vessel MV Zhenhua, said a RSTG statement.

RSGT the only terminal at JIP designed to the next generation of super-mega vessels of 13,000+ TEUs adding an annual capacity of up to handle two million twenty- foot-equivalent units (TEU) annually to the existing port.

The delivery brings the total number of cranes currently serving the gateway terminal’s four berths and 50,000TEU stacking yard to 8 QC and 26 RTGs. “To date the RSGT is squarely on track as planned with its equipment schedule,” said CEO Aamer Alireza.

Saudi Arabia, the Middle East's biggest economy, has weathered relatively well the global financial turmoil, supported by a mix of strong oil prices which in turn has boosted consumer confidence and trade.

“Simply we are investing in the economic futures of Jeddah and Saudi,” said Alireza.

'RSGT’s strategy is to spearhead the development of the maritime aand logistics sector, ensuring JIP’s infrastructure and our own operations keeps pace with market growth.”

According to Alireza, commercial operations started at the terminal in the fourth quarter of 2009, with full operations scheduled by Q4 2010.

“Since our warmly welcomed emergence on the maritime scene, many significant events have taken place. First and foremost, the figures of container trade coming out of Saudi today mirror our predictions. The country has fared better than most with an upward trend in containerization,” he added.
 
The total investment in the world-class Greenfield facility, constructed under a BOT with the Saudi Sea Port Authority, has reportedly exceeded $510 million, the statement added.-TradeArabia News Service