MMD Shipping buys Konecranes mobile harbour crane

Shipping company MMD Shipping, based at Portsmouth International Port on the UK’s south coast, has increased its handling rates with the purchase of a new Gottwald Model 6 mobile harbour crane from Finnish manufacturer Konecranes.

The 125-tonne-capacity diesel-electric machine will primarily handle refrigerated containers and palletised fruit. The crane has a maximum working radius of 51 metres and a lifting speed of up to 120 m/min. The new crane is part of MMD’s long-term strategy to develop in line with changes in the fruit import business, as Mike Sellers, director of MMD explains, “When Portsmouth City Council purchased MMD in 2008, our common aim was to assume a leading role in the fruit handling segment in the UK. Konecranes Gottwald mobile harbour cranes are our technological backbone. The first machine was delivered in 2000. The new Model 6 crane is now our ninth crane from Konecranes, and the largest so far. It is also the mobile harbour crane with the highest capacity on England’s south coast and enables us to serve even larger vessels.”

Neil Griffiths, sales and service director UK, mobile harbour cranes, Konecranes, added, “The history of this teamwork shows how terminals can grow gradually with our mobile harbour cranes and confirms our diversified portfolio philosophy. The first cranes supplied to MMD were Generation 4 machines, followed by two Generation 5 Model 4 cranes from our medium-sized crane family, one in 2011 and one in 2012. The new Model 6 crane in the G HMK 6507 two-rope variant is MMD’s first machine from our large crane family and represents another significant step in our business relationship.”