Red Sea Gateway Terminal adds 10 cranes

Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) Bangladesh Ltd, which runs RSGT Chittagong, an extension of the Chattogram port for handling containers, received the delivery of 10 more Rubber-Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes last Wednesday, well ahead of schedule, taking the total to 14.

RTG cranes are mobile, wheeled container-handling machines used in ports. They straddle container stacks, lift heavy boxes with spreaders, and boost yard efficiency through flexible, space-saving operations

Four cranes had arrived at RSGT Chittagong, formerly known as Patenga Container Terminal (PCT), earlier in September.

These custom-built, rubber-tyred gantry cranes from Chinese firm Genma-Kalmar are hybrid vehicles, combining batteries with a diesel generator, and are capable of lifting containers weighing up to 41 tonnes, said a press release.

RSGT Bangladesh Ltd, the country's first foreign container terminal operator and a subsidiary of Saudi company Red Sea Gateway Terminal International, invested $25 million for the 14 cranes, said officials.

"This investment reflects our strategic vision to modernise Bangladesh's port infrastructure and promote sustainable operational practices," the press release quoted Erwin Haaze, CEO of RSGT Bangladesh, as saying.

"With these, RSGT Chittagong is setting new benchmarks in productivity, energy efficiency, and environmental responsibility," he said.

The terminal will become fully operational once four under-construction ship-to-shore (STS) cranes arrive by the end of the first quarter of 2026, said RSGT Chittagong Head of Commercial and Public Affairs Syed Aref Sarwar.

The STS cranes are large, gantry-style cranes located at the edge of docks, designed to load and unload containers between ships and the shore.

RSGT Chittagong has been partially operational since June 2024, following a 22-year agreement between RSGT Bangladesh Ltd and the Chittagong Port Authority.

In April this year, the terminal started handling import-laden containers after receiving clearance from the National Board of Revenue to set up container scanners.