RSGT Chittagong enhances capacity taking early delivery of 14 hybrid cranes

RSGT Chittagong, the country’s first international terminal operator, has added 14 state-of-the-art hybrid Rubber-Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes to its fleet at Patenga Container Terminal (PCT).

The US$25 million investment is expected to significantly enhance the terminal’s operational capacity, sustainability, and service excellence.
The first batch of the cranes arrived in early September this year followed by the second and final batch on 16 October, ahead of the scheduled timeline promised with the Chittagong Port Authority, said the company officials.
This early arrival of the modern equipment mirrors RSGT Chittagong’s commitment to providing efficient, reliable, and environmentally sustainable services to its clients, they stated.
Manufactured by industry leaders GENMA–KALMAR, the 14 hybrid RTGs were custom-built for RSGT Chittagong and can lift containers of up to 41 tonnes.
These cranes incorporate advanced battery-hybrid systems that substantially reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emission.
They also feature enhanced safety systems, ergonomic operator cabins, and smart automation technologies, ensuring superior operational performance and reliability, said the officials.
Of the newly received cranes, four will be used at the South Container Yard (SCY) to support growing handling operations, while the remaining 10 to be stationed at the PCT.
“This investment highlights our strategic vision to modernise Bangladesh’s port infrastructure and advance sustainable operational practices,” said RSGT Bangladesh Chief Executive Officer Erwin Haaze in a press statement.
The company sources also said that four state-of-the-art Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes are currently under development for the company and scheduled to arrive by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Once added to the fleet, they will significantly strengthen the terminal’s capabilities, delivering enhanced efficiency and improved service reliability for partners and stakeholders, they added.
Notably, the operator has handled around 1.48 lakh twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers at the PCT since it started operation in June last year.
With an investment plan of $170 million, it has already invested $160 million in procuring equipment, enhancing facilities and others, officials said.
They projected that once the terminal is fully equipped by the first quarter of 2026, its annual handling capacity will rise to six lakh TEUs.
Initially, the terminal failed to process import consignments due to a lack of a required scanner. But, with the formal inauguration of the scanner in May this year, the PCT handled its highest 24,700 containers in August.
Mentionable, the deal with the RSGT Chittagong, an international venture of Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) that operates the largest terminal facility in Saudi Arabia, was inked in December 2023.
Construction work on the contemporary full-fledged and self-dependent terminal was completed in June 2022. The government appointed the foreign operator, the first of its kind in the country, for a 22-year term under a government-to-government framework by the Private Public Partnership Authority.
The CPA developed the terminal on 26 acres of land near the Chattogram Dry Dock and Chattogram Boat Club in the city’s Patenga area, to boost port capacity to meet the future challenges centring on the country’s export-import businesses.
Bangladesh Army’s 34 Engineer Construction Brigade implemented the project at a cost of Tk1,147 crore, developing facilities for berthing of three container vessels simultaneously.