Yilport Liscont goes live with ARTGs

Portuguese container terminal Yilport Liscont, acquired by the Turkish terminal operator Yilport from Eurogate in 2022, has commenced operations with automated rubber-tired gantry (ARTG) cranes.

The terminal now runs six ARTGs, supplied by Konecranes, supported by the recent installation of four Remote Operator Stations (ROS), and has plans to expand with seven additional units. The new ARTGs handled their first task by handling 50 TEU unloaded from the Brooklyn Bridge, showcasing their operational capabilities.

Yilport ordered ARTG systems for three European terminals in 2020, including Liscont and Leixões in Portugal, and Gävle in Sweden.

Konecranes said at the time that the 18 ARTGs would be fully electric machines powered by busbar systems. The 16-wheel machines can stack 1-over-6 high and 7 containers + truck lane wide in Gävle and Liscont, and 6 containers + truck lane wide in Leixões. They are equipped with the Konecranes Active Load Control (ALC) system, and a suite of smart features under the supervised operation concept.

The terminal operator announced that Liscont has become the first terminal in the Iberian Peninsula and the second within Yilport Holding to implement ARTG operations, following Yilport Gävle, which pioneered the technology within the company. According to the company, ARTG operations at Yilport Gävle achieved a productivity rate of 25 moves per hour.

Yilport has claimed a first, but another Portuguese terminal, PSA Sines, is close behind in automating RTG operations. In March 2024, PSA Sines, which operates one of the largest container terminals in Portugal, welcomed six new ARTGs to its fleet. The cranes were ordered back in March 2023 from Konecranes, and will now undergo a period of on-site testing and commissioning, before going live.