Egypt has received a shipment of giant port cranes at Ain Sokhna as part of its plan to transform the country into a regional logistics and transshipment hub, the Ministry of Transport announced on Tuesday. The ZHEN HUA 36 vessel, owned by Chinese heavy-equipment manufacturer ZPMC, arrived at Hutchison Terminal 1 in Ain Sokhna Port carrying three ship-to-shore (STS) cranes and 12 automated rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes. This is the first batch of a total of six STS and 18 RTG cranes planned for the terminal. These cranes form a key part of the superstructure of the Hutchison Containers Terminal — the first facility under the wider Sokhna Port development, which is a critical component of the Red-to-Med integrated logistics corridor linking Ain Sokhna to Dekheila. The STS cranes are designed to handle ultra-large container vessels, significantly enhancing container turnover speed and terminal efficiency. The RTG cranes operate autonomously within the container yards using smart systems to precisely position and arrange containers, minimising human error and boosting performance. Transport and Industry Minister Kamel El-Wazir stated that Hutchison Terminal 1 will operate as a fully smart terminal. The system will integrate smart technologies, including a terminal operating system (TOS), real-time GPS and RFID tracking, centralised crane control rooms, and environmentally friendly technologies aimed at cutting emissions and maximising energy efficiency. He stressed that the arrival of the cranes marks a pivotal milestone ahead of the terminal's operational launch, positioning Ain Sokhna to accommodate the world's largest shipping lines and reinforcing Egypt's strategic role in global supply chains. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
