PSA Sines expands capacity with two new super Panamax ‘ship-to-shore cranes’

Two mega Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes arrived at PSA Sines on 4 December 2023. The new cranes will be added to the ten existing Super Post-Panamax cranes, allowing PSA Sines to handle the largest container vessels deployed at the Iberian Peninsula today. The new equipment will also play an important role in expanding PSA Sines’ capacity from 2.3 to 2.7 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) and reinforce PSA Sines as the preferred Iberian gateway hub.

The new STS cranes left Shanghai on 7 September 2023 and arrived safely after being out at sea for almost three months. The new equipment, which is expected to be ready for live operations in February 2024, will now undergo six weeks of testing and commissioning.

PSA Sines’ CEO Nichola Silveira said, “With an outreach of 24 container rows, and a height of 55 meters, we will now have six quay cranes that are fully capable of handling vessels larger than 24,000 TEUs in size, with no limitations. Alongside our multiskilled and engaged workforce, our productivity levels will reinforce our position as one of the largest container terminals in the south of Europe.”

Since the start of the works for the terminal in 2000, PSA Sines has already invested more than EUR 370 million in the development of its state-of-the-art facility. To continue to facilitate the increase in cargo volume and to meet the growing needs of our customers, PSA Sines has embarked on its ambitious Phase III expansion project, worth over EUR 412 million.

When the Phase III expansion has been fully completed in 2030, the terminal will be able to double its annual handling capacity from 2.1 million TEUs to 4.2 million TEUs, thereby strengthening its position as one of the main ports in the region.