If you have been watching our Lyttelton Container Terminal over the last month, you may have noticed a rather large change, as we dismantle one of our ship-to-shore cranes.

Built in 1993, Crane 1 has been a key part of our terminal for almost 30 years, completing thousands of lifts over its lifetime.

The introduction of the ship-to-shore crane in the 1980s symbolised the growth of our container terminal and the importance of containerisation for the shipping industry globally.

Coming in at almost 800 tonnes the deconstruction is no small feat, with a specialised team involved to disassemble the pieces safely.

Most of the crane will also be recycled, with approximately 600 tonnes of metal being taken to the scrap yard.

Looking to the future, we are now excited about the arrival of a new crane next year.

Crane 1 is our smallest crane, in terms of height and reach, so the replacement will align with the rest of our fleet.

With 30 years of technological advances to incorporate, the new crane has improved safety features, especially around collision detection and prevention with containers, plant and people.

Moving from DC to AC power supply also means a smoother experience for our skilled crane drivers.

The new crane, which is currently in the early stages of manufacturing in Ireland, is set to be operational in July next year, bringing us back to a four crane operation.

While the four cranes are never operational simultaneously, having a four crane fleet is key in providing flexibility for our operations and our maintenance schedule, to ensure we can provide efficient services to our many customers.