Work begins to chop up crashed cranes
WORK has started on chopping up two huge quayside cranes which crashed to the ground when a ship smashed into them.Specialist demolition contractors have been brought in to Felixstowe port to dismantle the steel gantry cranes, which were destroyed when the 244 metre long Zhen Hua 23 was ripped from its moorings by gale-force winds.
WORK has started on chopping up two huge quayside cranes which crashed to the ground when a ship smashed into them.
Specialist demolition contractors have been brought in to Felixstowe port to dismantle the steel gantry cranes, which were destroyed when the 244 metre long Zhen Hua 23 was ripped from its moorings by gale-force winds.
It is not known how long it will take to cut up the giant tangled metal pieces of cranes, but it is expected to be some weeks.
The contractors are employed by the port's insurers, who are now handling the whole issue of insurance claims, removal of the wrecked machinery and metal salvage.
Port corporate affairs boss Paul Davey said: “We don't know how long the work is going to take but we are making preparations for re-opening Landguard Terminal again.
“The Zhen Hua 23 is to return to the port in a few weeks and will move two cranes from Trinity Terminal to Landguard so that it can again be fully operational.”
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Meanwhile, Trinity will be boosted by having the three new cranes, which cost around £12 million, delivered last month - and which were on board when the ship crashed into the two now written-off - which will mean that overall, the port will still have gained one extra crane. Another two new cranes are due to arrive in the middle of the year.
The new cranes are mainly needed to update machines which are beyond their useful life because ships have grown so huge.
