Timor Port, a subsidiary of Bolloré Ports, received two tugs, two ship-to-shore (STS) gantries, and four rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes for the enhancement of operations of the deep-water port in Tibar Bay.
The delivery of the new equipment took place on 16 May, while the tugs and the cranes were transported by a semi-submarine specialised in the cranes transportation.
The new equipment will contribute to the port’s ambition to make Tibar Bay a transshipment hub and major gateway to the Asia-Pacific area, according to Laurent Palayer, general manager of Timor Port, who said that the new machines “will allow us to effectively get our container terminal up and running and support our customers.”
The two new STS gantries will support the port to unload large-capacity container vessels at high speeds. At the same time, the four RTG gantries, each 30-metres high, will assist in the loading, unloading and storage of containers in the port area. Additionally, the tugs will help large ships enter and exit the port, as well as mooring operations.
Oliver de Noray, general manager of Ports and Bollore Ports Terminals, commented, “These pieces of equipment, which will be deployed for the first time in Timor-Leste, will make it possible to handle large-capacity ships, with loading and unloading rates higher than those observed in the current port of Dili. The delivery of this initial equipment is a major step in the construction of the terminal, which aims to improve logistics services in Timor- Leste.”
This project is an investment of US$490 million over a period of 30 years, the largest amount of investment ever made in East Timor with a private partner.
