The new hybrid straddle carriers are the first of their kind to be deployed in Southern Africa and form part of TPT’s comprehensive equipment replacement programme aimed at restoring terminal performance and enhancing productivity.
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The Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) has taken delivery of four new hybrid straddle carriers worth R96 million as part of a broader effort by Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) to improve efficiency and modernise operations at South Africa’s ports.
The investment comes just days after the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2025 ranked the Port of Cape Town last among 400 container ports worldwide, underscoring the urgent need to address operational challenges and improve competitiveness.
CTCT announced on Wednesday that the specialised cargo-handling equipment arrived fully assembled and will become operational in July after the completion of operator training and installation of advanced in-cab computer systems.
The new hybrid straddle carriers are the first of their kind to be deployed in Southern Africa and form part of TPT’s comprehensive equipment replacement programme aimed at restoring terminal performance and enhancing productivity.
Straddle carriers are used to lift, transport and stack shipping containers within port terminals. The new units combine diesel and electric power, offering improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions while maintaining the operational capacity required in a busy container-handling environment.
CTCT added that the terminal is also completing its operator conversion training to ensure employees are able to maximise the capacity of the modern equipment, which operates using both diesel and electric power.
Earle Peters, managing executive at the Cape Terminals, said the technology represented a significant step forward for the terminal.
“This technology reduces fuel consumption, lowers emissions, and decreases noise levels, while maintaining the operational performance required in a busy container terminal environment.”
Peters added that the investment will provide more equipment to support daily operations across the terminal, which gives operational teams greater flexibility in managing container movements and supporting customer requirements.
CTCT is predominantly a rubber-tyred gantry crane (RTG) operation; the Terminal is transitioning into a hybrid operation that uses both straddles and RTGs to accommodate yard capacity and fulfil operational demand.
“The Cape Town Container Terminal has improved productivity and annual volumes as a result of the injection of new equipment.”
CTCT added that TPT has invested a total of R9 billion over the last three years on new cargo handling equipment across its 15 terminals nationally.
“Major capital investments in the current 2026/2027 financial year include straddle carriers and empty container handlers for the Cape Town and Port Elizabeth container terminals; rubber-tyred gantry cranes for the Durban Container Terminal Pier 1; reach stackers for multipurpose terminals; and haulers for the Richards Bay operations.”
CTCT said that despite wind, fog, and vessel ranging delays accounting for 74.15 days of weather disruption throughout the 12-month period ended in March 2026, the Cape Town Container Terminal has also improved on productivity and annual volumes as a result of the injection of new equipment.
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