Quayside Heavy Automation Boosts Crane Discharge Velocity to 38 Moves Per Hour, Expanding Handling Margins for 24,000-TEU Megamax Container Liners

JEDDAH — In a major operational milestone under the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) and Saudi Vision 2030, the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), in partnership with Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT), has formally commissioned and placed into full commercial service four new fully electric, remote-controlled Super-Post-Panamax Ship-to-Shore (STS) gantry cranes at the North Container Terminal of Jeddah Islamic Port.

The delivery and commercial integration of these high-specification cranes form a key component of the multi-billion-riyal long-term concession agreement between Mawani and RSGT to consolidate and redevelop the northern sector of Jeddah Islamic Port. With an outreach capable of spanning across 26 container rows and an 80-tonne tandem-lift capacity, the new cranes are tailored to service the world’s largest Megamax-24 container vessels. Operating with zero localized tailpipe emissions, the units reinforce Jeddah’s operational position as the premier transshipment and container-handling hub along the vital Red Sea maritime corridor.

Technical Superstructure and Remote Operational Architecture

Engineered by leading heavy marine equipment manufacturers to withstand high ambient desert heat and coastal saline humidity, the newly commissioned STS cranes feature advanced remote operation and digital terminal integration:

  • Extended Outreach and Lift Envelope: With an outreach extending 72 metres (spanning 26 container rows across deck) and a total lifting height of 54 metres above rail level, the cranes comfortably clear fully laden 24,000-TEU container ships stacked up to 11 tiers high on deck.

  • Remote Operating Station (ROS) Control: Operators control crane movements from an ergonomically optimized, climate-controlled Central Operations Command Center rather than high-elevation cabins. Using a low-latency 5G telecommunications grid, high-definition 3D camera arrays, and LiDAR laser positioning sensors, operators oversee pick-and-place cycles with millimeter accuracy.

  • All-Electric Regenerative Power Systems: Powered via high-voltage electrical cable reels linked directly to the terminal's substation grid, the cranes completely eliminate quayside diesel fuel consumption. During container lowering and trolley deceleration cycles, dynamic regenerative braking systems feed clean electrical power back into the port's internal energy grid.

  • AI-Integrated Twin-Lift / Tandem-Lift Spreaders: Capable of handling two 40-foot containers or four 20-foot boxes simultaneously in tandem mode up to an 80-tonne rated safe working load (SWL), accelerating gross crane discharge rates to over 38 moves per hour.

Strengthening Red Sea Transshipment Velocity

Handling over 65% of Saudi Arabia’s maritime imports and serving as an indispensable transshipment platform linking the Far East, South Asia, and Europe, Jeddah Islamic Port has had to continuously modernize its seaside capacity to handle altered carrier sailing schedules and concentrated container volumes.

Senior maritime executives and ocean carrier operations directors noted that the new crane installations deliver direct benefits to liner alliances:

  1. Accelerated ULCV Turnaround Cycles: Deploying the four cranes alongside existing modern STS assets allows RSGT to deploy up to seven gantry cranes simultaneously on a single Megamax vessel, ensuring fast dispatch times for mainline loops.

  2. Synchronization with Automated Yard Blocks: The cranes interface directly with the terminal’s automated guided transport and hybrid electric rubber-tyred gantry (e-RTG) yards, preventing container choke points between quaysides and landside stacking blocks.

  3. Resilience for Regional Feeder Relays: By compressing mainline unloading schedules, berth windows are freed up quickly for short-sea feeder vessels that connect Jeddah to outports across Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, Djibouti, and Yemen.

Institutional Perspective and Saudi Vision 2030 Delivery

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony at the North Container Terminal, Mawani and RSGT leadership emphasized that this crane deployment represents a critical step forward in transforming Saudi Arabia into a top-tier global logistics crossroads:

"The operational activation of these four electric Super-Post-Panamax cranes at Red Sea Gateway Terminal reflects our dedication to expanding berth velocity while pursuing absolute environmental sustainability. By pairing zero-emission electrification with cutting-edge remote operation, Jeddah Islamic Port offers global shipping lines exceptional crane productivity and turnaround reliability, reinforcing our status as the premier container gateway along the Red Sea under the National Transport and Logistics Strategy."

RSGT confirmed that comprehensive pilot runs and integration testing with the port's automated terminal operating system (TOS) have concluded successfully, with the cranes entering continuous round-the-clock commercial rotation immediately.