Mammoet Completes Final Phase of Terminal Expansion in Veracruz, Mexico

Mammoet’s team has successfully completed the second phase of the relocation of several shipping container cranes for Hutchison Ports ICAVE as part of a planned port expansion in Veracruz, Mexico.

Modified transport schedule helps to avoid seasonal high winds

Mammoet used 56 axle lines of SPMT to transport two ship-to-shore (STS) cranes and ten rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs). The completion of the crane relocations has increased the port’s capacity to more than 95 million tons.

The biggest challenge faced by the team was the execution of the moves during the ‘North Winds’, which are seasonal winds that hit the region regularly from November to February. During this period, wind speeds can be in excess of 75mph(120kph) and typically last two to three days. Mammoet’s team proposed splitting one load into two shipments, which was accepted by the client. This solution reduced the required working window from four days to two days for each voyage, allowing for completion of a safe and efficient offload schedule.

“The successful execution of the port expansion would not have been achievable without the collaboration between Mammoet’s teams in the United States and Mexico,” shares Patrick Heer, Project Manager for Mammoet. “By sharing and combining knowledge across the region, we were able to effectively manage logistics and resource management not only locally but also internationally, while continuously managing and exceeding the client’s expectations for a safe execution.”

In October 2019, Mammoet performed phase one of the terminal expansion, which included the transport of three Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes and 18 Rubber-Tired Gantry cranes (RTGs).