Hutchison Ports Sydney has taken delivery of two new ZPMC cranes with gooseneck booms.
Hutchison Ports Sydney is located at the Hayes Dock, ‘around the corner’ from the DP World and Patrick Terminals facilities at the Brotherson Dock, and opposite Sydney International Airport.
Proximity to the airport means the terminal falls within the airport height restriction zone, known as the Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS). To stay within the height limitation, Hutchison Ports Sydney was initially equipped with four low-profile STS cranes from ZPMC with a 50m outreach, 65t capacity and a lift height of 32m. The total height of the crane structures is just 40m.
Going higher
To enable the Sydney terminal to handle larger vessels, Hutchison Ports Australia had earlier applied for, and received in 2020, approval from the Federal Department of Infrastructure to install taller cranes at Sydney. After working with and securing approvals from multiple government agencies, Hutchison Ports Sydney was permitted to install cranes with a maximum structural height of 78m, subject to certain operational limitations when visibility is obscured due to fog or other factors.
Using a gooseneck boom design, Hutchison Ports Sydney has been able to install two new ZPMC cranes with a lift height of 47.1m and an outreach of 69m. This, the terminal said, is sufficient for a deck stow of 10 containers high and 23 rows across, while the crane structure stays under the 78m maximum height requirement with the boom raised. According to ZPMC, a gooseneck boom reduces the maximum height of the crane structure with the boom in the raised position by 30%.
*This story first appeared in the June 2026 print issue of WorldCargo News.
