Global Projects & Case Studies

Background

1.environmental background

The terminal operator at Port Sudan, Sudan‘s primary Red Sea port, relied on aging mobile harbour cranes and an old single-jib portal crane for handling bulk commodities — mainly bagged sugar, bulk grain, and cement — with rising maintenance downtime over five years.

2.solution

The decision was made to install a dedicated "portal crane" on an existing 120-metre berth with a 10.5-metre rail gauge, serving vessels between 3,000 and 25,000 DWT that call four to five times a week.

The Challenge

1.Mixed cargo, one crane

The terminal handled bagged sugar (November–March), bulk grain (April–October), and bagged cement year-round. The crane needed to switch between grab and hook — sometimes within a single shift — without long reconfiguration.

2.Weak existing quay

The quay was rated for a maximum wheel load of about 270 kN, ruling out most heavy portal crane designs that would require expensive foundation upgrades.

3.Noise constraints

The terminal sits in a busy commercial port area. Older diesel-powered mobile cranes had drawn complaints from neighbours during night operations. A quieter electric drive was essential.

The Solution

1.A Yuntian "Four Link Portal Crane" was selected

40 tonnes under hook, 32 tonnes under grab, 38-metre working radius, 28-metre lifting height above rail.

2.cleverly designed

The crane was installed on the existing 10.5-metre rail gauge with no quay modifications. Its four-link jib design kept deadweight and wheel loads within the existing structure’s limits.

3.product superiority

Full AC variable frequency drive (VFD) on hoisting, luffing, slewing, and travelling provided precise control, especially for grab operations. The quick-change spreader allowed the crew to switch between a four-rope grab and a hook in under five minutes.Installation from first components to handover took 14 weeks.

Key Advantages

1.Level luffing

 load moves horizontally during luffing, reducing the operator’s need to adjust hoist height constantly during repetitive grab cycles.

2.Quay-friendly design

deadweight and wheel loads matched the existing 270 kN limit, eliminating structural reinforcement costs that other proposals required.

3.Full VFD control

stepless speed regulation from creep to full speed on all motions; smoother grab operation and less spillage.

4.Quick-change spreader

grab-to-hook change in under 5 minutes; the same crane handles bulk, bagged, and general cargo in one shift.

5.Low-noise electric drive

all-electric VFD system eliminated diesel noise complaints from nearby facilities during night work.

The Result

1.Operational Reliability

The crane went into service in September 2024 and ran through the November 2024–March 2025 peak season with no unplanned downtime, achieving over 96% availability in its first eight months.

2.Productivity Improvement

Vessel unloading time for bulk grain dropped by approximately 25% compared to the previous mobile crane setup, mainly due to level luffing and faster hoisting speeds.

3.Community Impact

Noise complaints from neighbours stopped entirely — a benefit not part of the original business case but significant for the terminal’s port relationships.

Explore More Yuntian Portal Crane Projects

1. View More Completed Project

The Port Sudan installation is one of several four-link portal crane projects "Yuntian" has completed for bulk and multi-cargo terminals. More detailed examples — including configurations with different capacities, working radii, and quay layouts — are available on our "Case Studies" page.

2. Get a Customised Technical Recommendation

If your terminal faces similar constraints with existing quay infrastructure, our engineering team can provide preliminary technical recommendations based on the specific wheel load limits, rail gauge, and vessel sizes at your site. Get in touch through the "Contact Us" page, and we will respond within 24 hours.

Email: sales@sgycranes.com

Website: [https://yuntiancrane.com]

Whatsapp：+86-17337353108