PORTUGUESE terminal operator PSA Sines in Portugal took its first step towards fully automated yard equipment with the arrival of six new fully automated rubber tyred gantry cranes (aRTGs).

The cranes, will be added to the twenty-nine existing yard cranes, allowing PSA Sines to ramp up its operations. The new equipment is set to increase productivity and improve safety at the yard, while helping the terminal achieve its ambitious sustainability goals.

The new aRTGs are part of Stage One of PSA Sines s Phase III expansion project and are expected to be ready for live operations at the end of the second quarter of 2024.

The shift from diesel to electric will reinforce PSA Sines position as one of the leading ports of the Iberian Peninsula and contribute towards the company's sustainability goal of cutting its carbon emissions in half by 2030 and being completely carbon neutral by 2050.

PSA Sines head of engineering, Ricardo Sobral, said: "These state-of-the-art cranes represent a significant leap forward in our terminal operations, combining cutting-edge automation technology as we advance towards our sustainability ambitions. PSA Sines will progressively incorporate fully automated remotely operated equipment which are electricity powered to further reduce our carbon emissions."