ZPMC, COSCO and Port of Piraeus sign historic STS crane contract

Chinese state-owned crane manufacturer ZPMC has signed a contract via a cloud platform with COSCO Shipping Ports (CSP) and the Port of Piraeus for three ship-to-shore (STS) cranes.

It marks the first time a cloud platform has been used to sign such a contract. The ceremony itself took place with video links to Shanghai and Hong Kong, the two respective headquarters of ZPMC and CSP, and Athens, Greece.

In a statement, ZPMC said the contract was signed after “several months” of hard work and much negotiation over video conferences, a necessity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, it said the agreement provides a more “solid foundation” for cooperation between ZPMC, the world’s largest manufacturer of port equipment, and CSP, the biggest terminal operator in the maritime industry.

Furthermore, it will strengthen Piraeus’ position as a major gateway for trade between China and Europe, as well as its place along the New Silk Road, Beijing’s $1 trillion plan to revolutionise the supply chain.

The STS cranes, some of the largest in the world, with have maximum extending distance of 72m and a maximum hoisting height of 54m above the surface of the terminal and hoisting weight of 80t under the spreader.

They will be able to pick up two 40/45 foot containers or four 20 foot containers at the same time, and handle the largest container ships in the world.

https://www.porttechnology.org/news/zpmc-cosco-and-port-of-piraeus-sign-historic-sts-crane-contract/