With the construction of the portal crane, Westerman underlines the transformation of the past year and reaches literally and figuratively a high point for its barge and terminal operation. Where beforehand the process was handled with two mobile cranes (a reach stacker and telescopic crane) was sufficient, a doubling in the number of customers and sailings requires a large-scale solution.
This week the 28m high and 85m wide Aumund gantry crane was put into operation. The crane was constructed and delivered by the Dutch company EPMC Europe and German company Teichmann. The crane can serve the entire 250m long and 60m wide quay, and therefore the new crane doubles the terminal’s storage capacity, as it eliminates the need for driving paths between containers.
The number of container moves at the terminal has also been reduced as containers no longer need to be “dug out” of place.
The increased transport volumes have already led to a doubling number of barge departures from two to four in recent months. In addition, the partnerships with barge and terminal operator CTU and transport company Edink Logistiek from Kampen, the Netherlands, offer customers the opportunity to provide an even broader range of services. Besides Hasselt, customers can also use the terminals in Utrecht, Lelystad, and Tiel. Next to that, Edink’s specialized equipment can meet the most exotic customer demands.
The growth and partnerships, combined with the new gantry crane, will make Hasselt an even more valuable logistics center for the Zwolle region.
In addition to this barge and terminal activity, Westerman’s total service package consists of international rail and road transport, domestic distribution, warehousing, and value-added logistics.