Cargo handling at the Mombasa Port got a major boost earlier this week with the arrival of two ultra-modern diesel-electric cranes.

Eco-hoppers, which will be received in December to complement the cranes, will provide dust and spillage-free unloading through a control system that minimises escape of dust during discharge and reduces running expenses on average by 30 per cent.

The two harbour cranes are part of the Kenya Ports Authority’s Mombasa port improvement programme aimed at reducing carbon emissions and helping the port, its users, and other stakeholders to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Simultaneously

The cranes will enable the port to handle two vessels at a time, which will, in turn, reduce ship waiting times and greenhouse gas emissions from their diesel powered engines.

The cranes, funded by Trade Mark East Africa (TMA) through the UK Government’s International Climate Fund facility, were procured at a cost of Sh868.27 million. They are the first of their kind to be deployed in East and Southern Africa.

Unlike the mobile harbor cranes currently used at the port which handle one vessel at a time, the new cranes will handle two vessels simultaneously. TMA has been working closely with KPA to implement short-term and high-impact projects, including the improvement of Gate 18/20 which enhanced port access.

Source: The Standard Digital 

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