Since 2006 Fiji Port Terminal has been operating three Konecranes HMK 300 E Mobile Harbor Cranes, two at Suva and one at Lautoka, where they handle containers and general cargo.“Reliable Mobile Harbor Cranes support and minimize complexities in port structures, as well as providing high levels of flexibility in handling of any kind of cargo,” says Mr Hasthika Dela, Chief Executive Officer, Fiji Ports Terminal Limited adds.
“Similar to a gantry crane, a Mobile Harbor Crane is able to serve both container and break-bulk cargos as well as heavy payloads and bulk material. Mobile Harbor Cranes are efficient, easy to operate in confined environments and easily movable. These features are ideal for small and medium sized ports,” he said.
Fiji Port Terminal has also opted to retrofit each Mobile Harbor Crane with web reporting features, so that their condition and performance can be assessed digitally. “We are closely liaising with Konecranes global and regional headquarters as we upgrade each Mobile Harbor Crane with web reporting functionality, and we are always happy with their approach and efficient services rendered to us,” said Mr Dela.
Mr Kee Eng Pin, Konecranes Regional Service Manager, APAC, says that web reporting is an intelligent choice by Fiji Port Terminal, and is part of Konecranes’ evolved ports services offering. “Due to its remote location, it would be costly to station a technician there full-time. With constant remote monitoring, we can identify any future faults well in advance, and plan accordingly, including briefing the customer’s maintenance team on any technical aspects.”
“Additionally, we typically send a technician to the customer’s site for annual inspections, to keep all equipment totally safety compliant and to provide basic training to local technicians. Once the retrofits are completed, we can plan inspections to occur at the same time as repair works, to save the customer downtime and cost,” he said.
“With such a remote location, the other challenge is always spare parts. Even finding equivalent spare parts can be a challenge. To provide maximum uptime and support to our customer, Konecranes is providing original parts.”
Fiji Port Terminal took over the port operations in 2013, and took control of the cranes in 2018. They have been working cooperatively with Konecranes to modernize, retrofit and upgrade the Mobile Harbour Cranes to optimize their performance and reliability.
“Fiji Port Terminal is doing the responsible thing by ensuring all safety standards are met, and they are also looking to the future to see where efficiency can be gained by investing in technology and upgrades now. This forward-thinking approach is likely to save them costs and downtime in the future,” said Mr Kee.
