Gottwald Port Technology is nearing the landmark of producing its 1,000th mobile harbour crane, having passed 900 during 2004.

Gottwald took orders for 66 mobile harbour cranes in 2004, beating the 60 sold in 2003 and equalling its record year of 2002.

The HMK 300E is Gottwald’s best seller, with 22 ordered last year. The year was marked by good results in both existing and new markets, further progress in the bulk handling segment, and the launch of the HPK harbour pontoon crane series, Gottwald says.

Out of the total intake of 66 orders, 37 came from Europe, including nine from Belgium, five from Spain and four from the UK. There were three orders from the Netherlands; two from France, Italy, Norway, Turkey and Romania; and one from each of Greece, Finland, Iceland and Russia.
The proportion of business represented by European orders was down from 63 per cent in 2003 to 56 per cent in 2004.

In the Middle East there was an order from Syria for six cranes and two orders for five cranes from the United Arab Emirates.

There were five orders from Latin America and four from Asian, including only the second Gottwald crane in Japan, following the first Japanese sale in 2003.

The remaining orders came from the USA (two units), Canada, Algeria, Tanzania, Egypt, French Polynesia and New Caledonia.

Conventional two-rope cranes accounted for 53 per cent of orders (35 units), with 47 per cent (31 units) being for four-rope grab cranes. This represents a strong rise in demand for grab cranes, up from 24 units in 2003 and 17 in 2002.

There were six orders for the rail-mounted HSK portal harbour cranes and one for the newly launched HPK 330 EG harbour pontoon crane, all with four-rope grabs.

In response to demand, the HSK range has been extended to five models – HSK 170, HSK 260, HSK 300, HSK 330 and HSK 360 – with the largest model lifting up to 120t and having a working radius of up to 56m.

Port Autonome de Bordeaux in France ordered its third HSK 260 EG portal harbour crane in 2004 and Commercial Port of Vladivostok in Russia placed a follow-up order for an HSK 170 EG.

ABP Immingham in the UK, which already had a range of HMK cranes, ordered its first two HSK 360 EG cranes for coal handling.

To date, Gottwald has sold 22 HSK cranes that combine the technology of the HMK mobile harbour cranes with a rail-mounted portal instead of rubber-tyred chassis.

Gottwald also took two orders for its Wide Span Gantries (WSG).

One was ordered by Hafenbetriebe Rheinland-Pfalz GmbH and will be operated by Unikai Hafenbetrieb Wörth GmbH in its transhipment container terminal in Wörth by the Rhine, Germany.

The second order came from Logistische Dienste und Hafen Emmerich GmbH. This WSG will be operated by Rhein Waal Terminal GmbH in its container terminal in Emmerich by the Lower Rhine and is expected to be in commercial service at the end of 2005.