Rijeka Gateway welcomes its first STS cranes

Rijeka Gateway, a joint venture between APM Terminals and ENNA Logic, has received the first two STS cranes from Chinese manufacturer ZPMC. The cranes were dispatched from ZPMC’s Changxing branch back in August, heading for APM Terminals’ greenfield project in Rijeka, Croatia.

“Calm and quiet sea waiting for our Rijeka Gateway STS cranes to arrive. The ZPMC vessel Zhen Hua 29 is all fast and the team is ready to start the offloading. A tremendous job by everyone involved in Rijeka Gateway and partners getting us this far,” the company’s CEO Peter Corfitsen said on Tuesday, October 15.

The two cranes have a SWL of 51m, an outreach of 70m and a lift height of 56m. As WorldCargo News understands, ZPMC is supplying five STS cranes for the terminal, three set to be delivered by the end of this year, and two in 2025. The STS cranes set for delivery next year will have a SWL of 65m, outreach of 67.5m and a lift height of 46m.

Works at the Rijeka Gateway terminal have been intensively preparing for the cranes’ arrival by installing and welding the necessary rail infrastructure along the quay. Each rail, measuring 386.50 meters and weighing 57,975 kg, is designed to support the heavy loads the STS cranes will handle.

The terminal has also begun erecting its RMG cranes. The first RMG was assembled in early September, and based on the images of the terminal released by the company, at least four more have since been raised and are undergoing testing.

The Rijeka Gateway project, slated to begin operations in 2025, will feature over 60 pieces of electric container handling equipment, which aside from STS cranes, will include 15 RTGs, two RMG cranes, 28 electric terminal tractors, and 14 electric vehicles. Liebherr is supplying 15 eRTGs and two eRMGs. All equipment will be operated using Remote Operator Stations (ROS) provided by the respective manufacturers.

APM Terminals has also secured a contract for the use of renewable energy, sourced from solar and wind power, to ensure the terminal’s operations are environmentally sustainable. ENNA Next, the electricity supplier, issues green certificates to guarantee the supply of renewable energy. This arrangement has been in place since construction began and will continue through the terminal’s operational phase.

Once operational, Rijeka Gateway is targeting an annual capacity of 650,000 TEU.