Lekki port reaches 90% completion, to receives cargo handling equipment

Abiola Seun

The commencement of commercial operations at the Lekki Deep Seaport by September 2022, is gathering momentum as the management of the seaport, on Monday, said the project has reached 90 percent completion stage.

In a press statement made available to newsmen, the management also disclosed that they are getting set to take delivery of three new-generation Ship to Shore (STS) Cranes and 10 Rubber Tyred Gantries (RTG) from Shanghai, China ahead of the start of port operations.

According to the Managing Director, Lekki Port, Du Ruogang, the STS cranes will be able to service the largest container vessels currently sailing the oceans, which can carry more than 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

The specifications of the STS cranes include a fixed rail line at the quayside to access vessels and reduce delays moving from bay to bay.

These cranes have a lifting capacity of 65 tons in twin-lift mode, 50tons in single lift mode, and 85tons under the hook beam.

They can reach out from the quayside up to 61 metres and have an air draft of 52 metres and a span of 30.5 metres beneath the crane.

Ruogang, however, said that the equipment which left Shanghai on May 17, 2022, en route to Lekki Port, Lagos, Nigeria, will be the most sophisticated port equipment ever yet to be used in Nigeria and will completely change the port landscape, putting Nigeria at the forefront of container operations in West Africa.

He further asserted that Lekki Port would become a catalyst and an economic enabler for Nigeria with this development.

He added that the equipment would make Lekki Port operations fast, efficient and seamless.

The chief operating officer of Lekki Port, Laurence Smith, stated that an STS Crane generates 300 lux of light, making the surrounding environment seem like daylight so that the stevedores can work safely at night.

He explained further that a personnel elevator is installed for the operators’ comfort and safety.

He further revealed that the cabin is fitted with an ergonomic seat so that the operators can find the most optimal comfortable position for themselves.

Cameras are strategically equipped around the cranes to assist the operators with different angles to support the operation.

“From a customer and stakeholder perspective, the STS can more than double the performance of any port crane in Nigeria today, positioning Lekki Port as the future preferred gateway into Nigeria and beyond.

Lekki Port is indeed a gamechanger”, he said.

Lekki Deep Sea Port, currently at about 90% completion, is projected to commence operations in September 2022.

The port is a private-public partnership between the promoters, China Harbour Engineering Company and Tolaram and the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Ports Authority.