Freight Terminal Operator Makes Multi-Million Euro Investment in Port Equipment

SPAIN – This week APM Terminals presented the company's short and middle-term projects as well as its latest investments in Barcelona, which came to a total of €47 million. The acquisition of 29 new straddle carriers (SC) was announced and recently APMT also equipped itself with 2 new Super Post Panamax cranes from Los Angeles. The two new STS cranes allow operations with ships of up to 23 containers across the beam. In addition, they are capable of lifting 100 tonnes and can also operate in TWIN mode (2x20'), which sees the terminal claim the highest productivity out of all the Mediterranean terminals.

APMT has also launched a new Rack platform for reefer connections, which has allowed it to increase its connection capacity by 31%. It currently has a total of 632 connections, which allow for the expansion and increased rotation for equipment connections as well as complementary services. Added to this is a new feature which, utilising a new web page, allows for real-time consultation of the status of ships. Thus, the user can see the movements of a ship that is working at that very moment, including the percentage that it has completed or its remaining containers.

This month APMT Barcelona also received the certification of Authorised Economic Operator of Protection and Security (AEO) from the Spanish Tax Agency. This certification standardises the terminal's customs operations, thus closing the circuit of customs processing and security in national and European transport. The purpose of the AEO is to apply more rigorous and effective security measures and at the same time facilitate the flow of goods in international trade.

This set of investments is part of APM Terminals' strategy to modernise its current fleet and increase its equipment's capacity and productivity, as well as to improve safety at the Barcelona terminal. Narcís Pavón, General Manager of APM Terminals Barcelona, explained:

"We renew our commitment to the Port of Barcelona, outfitting ourselves with the technical equipment necessary to operate the most modern container ships that currently stop-over in the Catalan capital. With the latest implemented investments, we strengthen our position as a leader in the maritime business, making an effort to improve our fleet of machines as well as to make other technological improvements".

In presenting the news of these latest moves the event brought together the representatives of the port community, including the president of the Port of Barcelona, Mercè Conesa, who thanked APM Terminals for its commitment to Catalan infrastructure and said:

"With this operation, APM Terminals demonstrates its firm commitment to efficiency and to providing greater transparency to the logistics chain, thanks to an innovative service that permits users to see the real-time status of containers. The greater energetic efficiency of the new equipment will also imply a decrease in emissions. The company's significant investment therefore allows for the strengthening of the Port of Barcelona's strategic plans, based on competitiveness, sustainability and innovation.”

Photo: From left to right: Narcis Pavón (General Manager of APM Terminals Barcelona), Javier Martín Santodomingo (deputy director of State Ports), Mercè Conesa (president of the Port of Barcelona), Igor Van den Essen (Manager of APM Terminals Europe) and José Alberto Carbonell (General Manager of the Port of Barcelona).