The Indonesian government has placed an order for what is considered to be the world’s first commercially operational automated rubber tired gantry (ARTG) system for one of its key ports in Central Java.
Konecranes, a Finnish company that specializes in manufacturing cranes and lifting equipment, said it has signed an agreement to deliver an ARTG system to Indonesian state-owned terminal operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia III, or Pelindo III.
The cranes will be used to upgrade Terminal Petikemas Semarang (TPKS) in Semarang, Central Java. TPKS, the second largest container terminal of Pelindo III, has a capacity of 500,000 TEUs, with about 70 percent of its container traffic consisting of international cargo.
The order is part of the Indonesian administration’s plan to build a nationwide freight transport system to improve the movement of goods through the country’s network of waterways. It is comprised of 11 ARTG cranes, remote operating stations, and interface for miscellaneous container yard automation infrastructure such as intelligent container stack gates and truck guidance systems.
When fully operational, the ARTG system will bolster the terminal’s container handling capacity to accommodate customer demand. The value of the order was not disclosed, but the schedule for delivery of the equipment is 2015.
“Our shipping line customers demand reliable and predictable container handling above all, and the Konecranes ARTG system will enable us to provide this. It will also allow us to streamline our internal processes,” Husein Latief, director of commercial and business development at Pelindo III, said.
“Konecranes is our equipment supplier for other important container terminal projects in Indonesia, and we see advantages in continuing and deepening our cooperation—not least in service support for our operations,” he added.
