MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Four state-of-the-art Post Panamax portico cranes arrive in port of Montevideo

The huge cranes were transported from Shanghai is a special vessel

The Port of Montevideo has taken delivery of four state-of-the-art portico cranes, giving it the most advanced equipment of its type in Latin America and marking a further step in the effort to position it as the region’s leading seaport, the port operations company said.

The cranes, which were built in China, were acquired by Belgium’s Katoen Natie, the company that has operated the container terminal in the Uruguayan capital’s port since 2001.

A special ship brought the huge cranes from Shanghai to Montevideo, arriving at Montevideo, Uruguay on Saturday.

Katoen Natie has an 80% stake in Terminal Cuenca del Plata, which operates the container terminal, with the state-owned National Port Administration, or ANP, owning the remaining 20%.

The new cranes bring to eight the number of Super Post-Panamax portico cranes at the port of Montevideo, allowing the facility to handle three cargo ships simultaneously, Katoen Natie said.

The Belgian company, considered one of the largest port operators in the world, has a presence in 20 countries and handles 170 million tons of cargo annually.