In January 2021, Alexandria Container and Cargo Handling Company (ACCHCO) ordered three additional Konecranes empty container handlers for their two sites in northern Egypt, with two going to the Port of Alexandria and one to the Port of Dekheila expected June this year. They join a large fleet of Konecranes lift trucks already operating at the ACCHCO facilities.
The earliest maritime facilities were built where Alexandria stands now sometime around 1900 BCE, making it one of the oldest ports in the world. However, the port’s history really starts when Alexander the Great founded the city in 331 BCE. Today, the Port of Alexandria is the main port of Egypt, and together with the nearby Port of Dekheila, an extension of the original port, handles about 60% of Egypt’s foreign trade. ACCHCO was established in 1984 as the first specialized container handling facility in Egypt. The company operates two main terminals: Alexandria Terminal and El Dekheila Terminal, in their respective ports. As their volume of trade continues to increase, they need to move a growing number of empty containers to and from storage areas or make them ready for the next consignment. After a tender process, they decided to order three more empty container handlers from Konecranes because they have always been impressed with the efficiency and productivity of their other Konecranes equipment, purchased across previous orders since 2013. This new delivery will bring the total number of Konecranes lift trucks in the ACCHCO fleet to 40 units.
“We bought three of the same model SMV 5/6 ECC 90 empty container handlers just two years ago, and we’ve been more than satisfied with their performance,” says Admiral Mamdouh Tawfik Draz, CEO of ACCHCO. “These lift trucks have shown outstanding reliability, stability and performance in a challenging work environment, operating across shifts and around the clock. Local agent Tad Trade has given us excellent after-sales assistance and maintenance services on behalf of Konecranes. It’s a pleasure to work with such reliable partners.”
“The fact that we won the tender and that ACCHCO are making a repeated order so soon reflects the quality of both our equipment and our long-term business relationship,” says Erik Rausner, Sales Manager, Konecranes Lift Trucks. “We are delighted to see a customer put their trust in such a large Konecranes fleet, and look forward to maintaining our work with ACCHCO and helping them to build on their continuing success.”
The three new Konecranes SMV 5/6 ECC90 empty container handlers have been fitted with a range of special features to enhance their performance. An innovative spreader includes added strength with reduced weight for more durability and less wear. Central greasing on the truck and spreader simplifies maintenance. Safety features include extra lighting on the console and mast for improved visibility; buzzers to alert the driver to temperature and pressure changes; an alarm and automatic lift stop in case of overload; automatic plug fuses as circuit breakers in the unlikely event of an electrical fault; engine, lighting and ignition shutdown if the truck is left running for five minutes to save fuel, and the parking brake engages automatically if the driver leaves the seat.
ACCHCO has also requested different customized chassis colors on each of their orders as it helps them to visually identify and keep track of their machines in the field. These three empty container handlers will be painted RAL 1018 zinc yellow.
