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DUNKERQUE-PORT: TWO NEW GANTRY CRANES TO EQUIP THE FLANDERS TERMINAL
9th april 2020

The Terminal des Flandres in Dunkerque-Port received two new last generation gantry cranes on Friday 3 April. They are sized to operate MegaMax vessels, the largest container ships in the world. This significant investment means the container terminal will have 8 gantries on its 1900 meters of quays with 16.5m of draught in all tidal conditions and can simultaneously deploy up to 6 gantries on the largest vessels.

Built by world market leader ZPMC, the gantry cranes each weigh 1,700 tonnes, have a reach of 67 meters and a height under spreader of 54m. These are the highest gantry cranes currently to be deployed in France.

The terminal has a maritime infrastructure that also meets the highest standards. The quality and reliability of the service are recognized worldwide. With these new gantries, the terminal is ready to serve its existing customers even better and to develop future customers.

Thee gantry cranes will be deployed among others on the Asia Europe FAL 1 service of the Ocean Alliance (CMA CGM - Evergreen - Cosco - OOCL) which will call at Dunkerque from 12 May 2020 onwards and will include, as of June, the 23,000 TEU, LNG-powered container ships from the CMA CGM Jacques R Saadé series.

Boris Wenzel, Managing Director of Terminal Link, the majority shareholder in the Terminal des Flandres: "These new gantry cranes once again reflect the commitment of Terminal Link and its shareholders: to offer its customers excellence, develop the terminal and believe in the future. The gantries complete the development of the new deep-water dock and will allow the terminal to berth two Megamax ships at the same time."

Stéphane Raison, Chair of the Executive Board of the Major Seaport of Dunkerque (GPMD): "The arrival of these two gantry cranes clearly represents a turning point for the entire Dunkirk port community and for the port's customers. As co-shareholder in the terminal, Dunkerque-Port has invested in the extension of the quay to make Dunkerque THE destination for container traffic by raising the terminal's capacity to 1 million TEUs. Beyond that, and in order to fully meet customer expectations, we have developed over 300 hectares of new logistics and industrial activity areas, of which 150 hectares are located only 300 meters from the terminal." 

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