Polish ‘green’ carriers will boost Grangemouth port capacity

The new equipment, built in Poland and shipped here on specialist vessels, is part of a multi-million pound investment in terminal equipment at the port.

The straddles are fuel efficient, low noise, and feature a diesel-electric drive which fully complies with the latest exhaust emission regulations.

Senior Port Manager, Derek Knox, said: “The arrival of our five new Kalmar/Cargotec straddle carriers is an important asset and will facilitate increased container volumes moving through the port in the coming months and years.

“This investment builds on a year of growth in container volumes in Grangemouth despite the current economic uncertainty.

“The additional capacity that will be created further secures our position as Scotland’s largest container terminal, with a modern fleet of equipment and the supply of storage capacity to meet future demands.

“In Grangemouth we handle some of the country’s most valuable exports, such as fine foods and drinks, so flexibility and durability of our equipment is essential”.

Further investment aimed at increasing capacity is planned over the next few years.

More than £6billion worth of goods pass through Grangemouth each year, including food and drink, steel plate, timber, paper and equipment for the oil and gas industry.