Boosts Eastern Canada’s ‘Ultra-capable’ terminal facility Halifax, Nova Scotia – Building on increased container traffic through 2016 and the first half of 2017, Halterm International Container Terminal, Eastern Canada’s only facility capable to handle ‘Ultra’ class container vessels (+10,000TEU capacity), will extend its container and reefer handling capabilities, with $10 million worth of new equipment over the next 12 months. These developments will support the terminal’s existing five ship-to-shore crane operation, providing Carriers congestion-free operations over more than a kilometer of quay, at 3 berths between 14-16 metres draft. Kim Holtermand, CEO, notes “Halterm provides global container Carriers with fast and efficient access to eastern Canada and the Halifax supply-chain reaches far inland and to the US Midwest.” Holtermand continues, “after significant ship-to-shore crane investments delivered into the operation in early 2014, it is the right time to bring on new rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) which will be arriving in February (1) and October (2) of next year.” Halterm is in the process of optimizing its existing container yard, which involves the removal of three redundant 1970’s era ship-to-shore crane assets and the addition of new reefer capacity – an increase of more than 25% to over 600 reefer plugs. Holtermand explains, “our five active ship-to-shore cranes, with outreach up to 22 containers wide are in excellent working condition and still under-utilised with current berth commitments. It is the right time to get out ahead of our customer’s service requirements, amid rising volumes and deliver in all areas of the container facility.” Halterm utilizes mixed equipment assets for stacking - new Konecranes Reach-Stackers, RTGs and toplift forklifts. The three new ‘1 over 5’ RTGs from Konecranes are to be delivered in 2018. They will span six lanes and allow Halterm to stack containers five-high across import and export zones – an effective increase in yard capacity of 160,000TEU, up 40% overall. Halterm maintains a basic workforce of more than 100 longshoremen, handling services for Ocean Alliance partners (CMA CGM, Evergreen, Cosco and OOCL), Zim Integrated Shipping, Maersk Line, Tropical Shipping, Eimskip, Melfi, TMSI and weekly domestic service to Newfoundland with Oceanex.