Hutchison Port Holding’s Sydney International Container Terminals at Port Botany is on track to begin its initial operations later this year.
This week four specially built post-panamax quay cranes arrived at the company’s terminal. The cranes, each weighing in the order of 1600 tonnes, have special ‘shuttle’ booms that retract horizontally rather than the more conventional raised boom configuration.
This approach was adopted to avoid restrictions on crane operations, given their height and proximity to Sydney airport. It is expected to take 10 days to offload the cranes. They will be commissioned over the coming months.
SICTL Chief Executive, Dr Stephen Gumley , says after a slower than expected start, due to poor ground conditions on the reclaimed site, the new terminal is fast taking shape.
“Civil works are currently running ahead of schedule and work is also well advanced on installing the Automated Stacking Cranes, ” Dr Gumley said.
“ HPH has already invested more than $220 million in developing Sydney’s new international container terminal on the civil works, equipment and IT systems that will combine to deliver a sophisticated and modern operation.
“In the order of 500 people are working on the site and work is moving forward apace. Apart from some 30,000 cubic metres or concrete already being poured, more than 7 kms of underground drainage and 13 kms of underground services have been installed. Work has also started on the new rail terminal that will be linked by dedicated rail freight to the new intermodal terminal we will develop at Enfield.
“All of this is a significant investment. We are confident that it will deliver value to the NSW freight task and the port ,” Dr Gumley said.
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Press Release, August 14, 2013