The Hutchison Ports BEST container terminal, located in the Port of Barcelona, inaugurated two new Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes this Thursday, the tallest ones installed so far at its facilities. The equipment represents an investment of 12 million euros per unit, reaching a total expenditure of 24 million euros.
The addition raises the number of available Super Post-Panamax STS cranes at the terminal to 15. BEST plans to add three more units before the end of 2028, bringing its crane fleet to 18 units.
The new cranes have been manufactured by ZPMC in China and have an approximate height of 90 meters. The equipment is designed to operate large container ships, including those exceeding 24,000 TEU, and allows operation over a stretch of up to 26 rows of containers. The free height under the spreader reaches 55 meters.
The entry into service of the cranes is part of the investment program that Hutchison Ports BEST is developing to expand the capabilities of its semi-automated terminal in Barcelona. The facilities currently feature a continuous quay of about 1,500 meters in length, 16.5 meters of draft, and 68 automated yard cranes, in addition to a fleet of 40 shuttle carriers.
The program also includes the expansion of the automated storage areas. BEST plans to add six new automated blocks through an investment estimated at about 140 million euros, with completion expected in the second half of 2027. These new spaces will increase the available blocks in the terminal from 34 to 40.
This action is in addition to the prior incorporation of seven automated blocks, linked to an investment of approximately 130 million euros. The three new STS cranes planned by 2028 will be aimed at accommodating the growth of the facilities resulting from these expansions.
BEST also has an integrated rail terminal in its facilities, equipped with eight tracks for the operation of freight trains and connected to various hinterland corridors.
The terminal currently represents more than 40% of the container traffic managed by the Port of Barcelona. According to figures released by BEST, its activity generates a gross added value of around 2.195 billion euros and is linked to about 20,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs.
The inauguration included the participation of the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente; the Minister of Business and Labor of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Miquel Sàmper; the President of the Port of Barcelona, José Alberto Carbonell; and the Secretary General of Air and Maritime Transport, Benito Núñez.
Also present were the Mayor of El Prat de Llobregat, Alba Bou; the Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Valls; the Director General of Transport of the Government of Navarre, Berta Miranda; the General Director of Hutchison Port Holdings Europe, Clemence Cheng; and the CEO of Hutchison Ports BEST, Guillermo Belcastro.
During the event, the evolution of maritime routes between Asia and Europe was also addressed following the disruptions caused by the situation in the Red Sea. Sea-Intelligence data cited during the presentation indicate that around 19% of the Asia-Europe lines have recovered transit through the Suez Canal after diversions made around the Cape of Good Hope.