Vessels could be discharged three times quicker after PD Ports invested £900,000 in materials handling capability in the Humber region.
A new crane will optimise turnaround rates at Groveport for certain cargo carriers.
The bespoke specification Liebherr addition is part of a long-term strategic plan to support business growth across Humber-based operations.
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Groveport, sitting on the River Trent, west of Scunthorpe, is the largest site in the cluster, which also includes Immingham, Keadby and Hull.
Geoff Lippitt, chief commercial officer at PD Ports, said: “We’re delighted to have such an impressive and world-leading piece of equipment on site at Groveport.
“The new crane will deliver significant benefits to our customers, drastically reducing the discharge times for vessels resulting in huge cost savings as customers can turn their vessels around much faster.
“Our reputation and exceptional customer service sets us apart from our competition, but by continuing to also invest heavily in infrastructure and resources at Groveport we believe we can further strengthen our position as not only the UK’s premier hub for steel handling, but a market leader in handling a wide spectrum of bulk cargoes.”
The delivery of the crane builds on a long-standing partnership between PD Ports and Liebherr, who have also provided equipment, including electric rubber tyred gantry cranes at Teesport, the port operator’s largest operation and the fifth largest port in the UK.
Mike Hanlon, ports and material handler product specialist at Liebherr, said that the machine manufacturer was delighted to deliver the equipment and play its part in the continued growth of PD Ports’ operations at Groveport.
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