Two of the nine STS cranes at Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) are currently out of service, causing delays in vessel turnaround times. While seven cranes are operational, the remaining two are down due to breakdowns, according to Transnet, which attributed these issues to the ageing nature of the equipment, highlighting the need for repairs to restore full operational capacity.

“Original equipment manufacturer, Liebherr, is on-site working around the weather with our technical teams on the other two (2) cranes which are out due to break downs – and expected to return to operations in the next week,” the company said in a statement to WorldCargo News.

“The terminal is therefore running a seven-gang operation with the existing seven (7) cranes.”

To improve crane reliability, CTCT plans to initiate a reliability improvement programme this week, involving a staggered release of all nine available cranes for maintenance, with one crane being released at a time for two weeks to ensure continuity.

Maersk said in an advisory last week that waiting times at Cape Town CTC were between two and four days, with delays exacerbated by heavy winter weather patterns. At the time, four cranes were undergoing repairs, according to Maersk and local media reports, resulting in what Maersk described as “productivity below target.”

The advisory also indicates that Durban DCT (Durban Container Terminal) Pier 2 was experiencing 10-16 day delays amid very low productivity levels caused by persistent equipment breakdowns and reduced straddle carrier operations. Recovery at the terminal is anticipated within the next 3 to 4 months as equipment reliability and availability improve. A similar case was reported for Durban Pier I with waiting times ranging between 7 and 9 days, attributed to poor STS and RTG reliability and availability. Maersk expects productivity at Pier I to recover within two weeks.

Two of the nine STS cranes at Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) are currently out of service, causing delays in vessel turnaround times. While seven cranes are operational, the remaining two are down due to breakdowns, according to Transnet, which attributed these issues to the ageing nature of the equipment, highlighting the need for repairs to restore full operational capacity.

“Original equipment manufacturer, Liebherr, is on-site working around the weather with our technical teams on the other two (2) cranes which are out due to break downs – and expected to return to operations in the next week,” the company said in a statement to WorldCargo News.

“The terminal is therefore running a seven-gang operation with the existing seven (7) cranes.”

To improve crane reliability, CTCT plans to initiate a reliability improvement programme this week, involving a staggered release of all nine available cranes for maintenance, with one crane being released at a time for two weeks to ensure continuity.

Maersk said in an advisory last week that waiting times at Cape Town CTC were between two and four days, with delays exacerbated by heavy winter weather patterns. At the time, four cranes were undergoing repairs, according to Maersk and local media reports, resulting in what Maersk described as “productivity below target.”

The advisory also indicates that Durban DCT (Durban Container Terminal) Pier 2 was experiencing 10-16 day delays amid very low productivity levels caused by persistent equipment breakdowns and reduced straddle carrier operations. Recovery at the terminal is anticipated within the next 3 to 4 months as equipment reliability and availability improve. A similar case was reported for Durban Pier I with waiting times ranging between 7 and 9 days, attributed to poor STS and RTG reliability and availability. Maersk expects productivity at Pier I to recover within two weeks.