Five fully assembled STS cranes are on their way from Shanghai aboard ZPMC’s heavy load vessel Zhen Hua 25, heading to terminals in Türkiye and Croatia.
All five cranes are being shipped in a fully erected state, though three of them have their booms lowered for transport. It is common practice to lower the upper section of STS cranes during transport, especially when passing under bridges. In such cases, the boom, along with the apex, machinery house, and operator’s cab, is lowered close to the vessel’s deck and secured with supporting structures.
The two orange-painted cranes are bound for the Adriatic Gate Container Terminal (AGCT) in Rijeka, Croatia, operated by Philippine-based ICTSI. The cranes have a SWL of 65t, an outreach of 67.5m, and a lift height of 46.5 m. According to AIS data from MarineTraffic, Zhen Hua 25 is currently en route to Rijeka, with arrival scheduled for 25 November.
As previously reported by World Cargo News, ZPMC is scheduled to deliver two super post-Panamax STS cranes and two RTG cranes to AGCT. The hybrid RTGs are designed to reduce fossil fuel use, aligning with ICTSI’s efforts to modernise and decarbonise its terminal operations. ZPMC has also recently delivered remotely-operated STS cranes to another container terminal in the port, Rijeka Gateway, which welcomed its first commercial vessel in September. The terminal is a joint venture between APM Terminals and ENNA Group and represents the largest private investment in Croatian logistics, valued at €380m.
Remotely-controlled cranes for DP World Körfez
The three blue cranes are destined for DP World’s Körfez terminal in Türkiye, where they will introduce remote-controlled operations similar to those already in use at Yarımca. “We’ve already seen how this technology has reshaped operations in Yarımca, by boosting safety, unlocking new levels of productivity and creating smarter, more resilient supply chains. Now, we’re bringing the same innovation to Körfez,” DP World said.
DP World has been operating in Türkiye since 2016. Its operations in the country include locations such as Istanbul, Kocaeli, Ankara, Bursa, İzmir, Mersin, and Adana. DP World’s Körfez terminal forms part of a wider merger completed in July 2024 between DP World and Türkiye’s Evyap Group, aimed at creating a new international logistics hub in the country. The agreement brings together DP World Yarımca and Evyapport, both situated in the İzmit Bay area. Under the terms of the deal, DP World holds a 58% stake in Evyapport, while Evyap Group takes a 42% share in DP World Yarımca. The new entity operates under the brand DP World Evyap, which oversees the rebranded terminals DP World Evyap Yarımca and DP World Evyap Körfez.
In March 2024, at Evyapport, now operating as DP World Evyap Körfez, the container ship YM Witness struck a crane at the port, triggering a domino effect that toppled two additional quay cranes. The three cranes destroyed were two Kalmar units delivered in 2011 and one Liebherr STS delivered in 2014. The terminal continued container handling using five mobile harbour cranes (MHCs). By the end of April, the port had cleared the wreckage and reported it was “operating at full capacity with one STS crane, five MHCs, 26 RTGs, and 52 terminal tractors,” with some MHCs relocated to work alongside the remaining STS gantry crane.
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