The announcement comes after lengthy talks with Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. of China. In the current contract that was signed in 2017, the Ashdod Port Company said the order is currently an option.

The ZPMC cranes will be used at the Pier 21 East semi-automated container terminal, which is currently being upgraded to handle 24,000 TEU mega-ships by deepening the channel.

The new cranes are capable of using an integrated tandem system to lift two 40-foot-long containers at once. The new cranes have a unique remote control capability, allowing real-time remote operation from the control room using the crane's camera system.

The cranes will be delivered in January 2022 and will be operational in the first half of 2022.

The Ashdod Port Board of Directors has already approved an ILS 2.4B CapEx budget over the next couple of years for port growth. Of this budget, Pier 21 is allocated more than one billion ILS.

In addition to the procurement of the new cranes, the budget was allocated for the retrofit works, valued at ILS 600M, and for the construction of a semi-automated terminal in the backyard of Pier 21.

“The Ashdod Port, the main port of Israel, continues to promote innovative technologies in all aspects of its operations to improve quality of service and become the most advanced port in the world. Ashod Port was the first in Israel to introduce a ZPMC crane,” commented Shiko Zana, Ashdod Port CEO.

Maritime Business World