New crane completes ABP Ayr £2.2m investment

(Posted on 17/05/21)

The Port of Ayr, operated by Associated British Ports (ABP) has taken delivery of a new high-performance crane, which will optimise vessel discharge speeds for customers.

Together with a number of other recently acquired pieces of port machinery, including two cranes purchased in 2013 and 2018, the Liebherr LH110 will help enhance port operations and deliver easier maintenance for ABP’s local engineering team. With the delivery of this machine, ABP marks the completion of a seven-year £2.2 million investment strategy to upgrade all front-line machinery at the port.

Reflecting on the investment, Stuart Cresswell, ABP Port Manager for Troon, Ayr and Silloth, said: “I am delighted to see the arrival of this machine and the completion of our goal to standardise our fleet of front-line cranes. This strategy was developed in close partnership with all our font-line colleagues, including both our crane drivers and the local engineering team. We are all confident it will allow us to retain our reputation as one of the quickest and most effective discharge ports in the UK.

“In terms of discharge cycle time, the Liebherr’s LH series has proven to be super quick and will bring many longer-term maintenance benefits of the fleet, as our local engineers now only have one number to call if there are any issues.”

The Port of Ayr specialises in handling dry bulks, including salt, animal feed, heavy lift and forest products. Together with customers, ABP’s Scottish ports of Ayr and Troon contribute over £40 million to the UK economy every year, including £28 million locally.

Mike Hanlon, Material Handler Product Specialist for Liebherr-Great Britain, commented: “We are very proud of our long standing relationship with ABP and it has been great to see the expansion of the Liebherr fleet at Port of Ayr over the last few years.

“Liebherr is renowned for providing bespoke solutions to many industries and our Ports machines are no exception. We worked closely with ABP to ensure that their material handlers were configured to their exact requirements so that they can, in turn, offer the most efficient and reliable service to their customers.”

Latest News

Rotterdam’s first half year throughput declines with dry bulk down 8.9%

Throughput in the port of Rotterdam decreased by 4.1% in the first half of 2025. This brought the total... Read more

Jeroen Eijsink to become CEO of HHLA

The Supervisory Board of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has appointed Jeroen Eijsink as... Read more

Canada is feeding the world with support from marine shipping

As the 2025 marine shipping season has progressed, grain traffic has remained the dominant story of... Read more

ABL strengthens market value and global reach through TSA acquisition

Asian Bulk Logistics (ABL), has finalised its acquisition of Transhipment Services Australia (TSA),... Read more

Klaipeda Port leads Baltic States in cargo growth

In the first six months of this year, nearly 19 million tons of cargo were handled at Klaipeda Port.... Read more

Adam Bell named President of S.H. Bell Company

S.H. Bell Company, a trusted name in cargo handling, warehousing, and logistics for more than 90 years... Read more

Declining bulk traffic at Antwerp-Bruges in first half of 2025

In the first six months of 2025, the total throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges was 137.2 million tonnes... Read more

AD Ports MoU with Critical Minerals Forum to strengthen global supply chains

AD Ports Group, an Abu Dhabi based, leading enabler of global trade, logistics, and industry has announced... Read more

Long An International Port reaffirms commitment to green and sustainable development

Long An International Port has successfully concluded its participation at ASEAN Ports & Logistics... Read more

World’s first hybrid solar-powered inland shipping vessel

Dutch maritime solar innovator Wattlab has delivered a solar energy system for HGK Shipping’s... Read more