Efficiencies at Ports of Auckland’s Fergusson Container Terminal have resulted in the closure of its Bledisloe Container Terminal.
As a result, that also means the retirement of its three cranes.
The “D” crane will be taken down piece by piece and scrapped, while the “E” and F” cranes are still operational, with the port looking for a buyer.
“It will be sad to see the old cranes go. They are an iconic feature of the working waterfront, often photographed by visitors and locals alike,” port chief executive Tony Gibson says.
“But times have changed. We no longer handle containers at that end of the port and we need the room for other types of cargo. Removing these cranes helps us make better use of our existing land.”
‘D’ crane was commissioned in 1991 and first operated on Fergusson Container Terminal. It was moved from Fergusson and relocated to Bledisloe Terminal in 2007.
Bledisloe Terminal now handles roll-on, roll-off (‘Ro-Ro’) vessels which carry new and used cars, heavy vehicles like trucks, buses, trains, tractors, construction equipment and large project cargo which can’t fit on container ships.
‘D’, ‘E’ & ‘F’ cranes are 67.85 metres high and weigh 787 tonnes
