MacGregor wins PIL electric crane contract

The MacGregor division of Cargotec has secured an order from Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, in China, for 16 variable frequency drive (VFD) electric cranes.

The cranes have been purchased for four 3,900 TEU (tonne equivalent unit) container vessels under construction for Singapore-based Pacific International Lines (PIL).

The order was booked to the fourth quarter 2012 order intake. Delivery of the first ship set is planned for the end of October 2013; the other three are scheduled for delivery during the first half of 2014.

"MacGregor electric cranes are the ideal choice for these new ships," said Jonas Hägglund, MacGregor sales manager. "In comparison to hydraulic equivalents, our VFD cranes offer 30 to 35% less power consumption, which results in lower running costs and lower environmental impact. Furthermore, MacGregor electric cranes offer an excellent positioning performance of containers and cargo which will shorten the loading and unloading time. They also feature low noise levels, making them an excellent choice in environmentally-sensitive areas.

"Each MacGregor crane unit is tested electrically and mechanically before delivery, which simplifies installation for the shipbuilder," adds Hägglund.

Each four-crane ship set comprises three GLE4827/MLC/2744-2 cranes, each with a safe working load of 48 tonnes at 27 metres outreach down to 27 tonnes SWL at 44 m outreach, and one GLE3528.5-2 with an SWL of 35 tonnes and an outreach of 28.5 m.