Photo: Collected
The specialized deck ship ‘MV Lan Hai Hong Yun’ carrying four state-of-the-art Q Gantry Cranes (QGCs) for the country’s first foreign-operated Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) of the Chittagong Port has arrived in Chittagong.
The Red Sea Gateway Terminal International (RSGT), the operator of the PCT, procured the cranes from China’s Sunny Marine Heavy Industries at a cost of about US$30 million.
The ship docked at the PCT Jetty of the Chittagong Port at around 6 pm on Friday (June 19, 2026).
Secretary (Additional Duty) of the Chittagong Port, Md. Nasir Uddin, said that the ship carrying the QGCs has been safely berthed at the PCT Jetty. Two experienced pilots and three powerful tugboats of the port were deployed to berth the ship at the jetty.
Earlier, the port authorities had issued a notification directing caution in the movement of all types of commercial ships, coasters, tankers and fishing trawlers in the area adjacent to the PCT of the Karnaphuli River to ensure safety during unloading.
Port officials said that gantry cranes are the most modern technology for quickly and safely loading and unloading goods from ships used for container transport. These cranes play an important role, especially in unloading containers from ships without their own cranes.
Port and RSGT sources said that in February 2025, RSGT signed an agreement to procure four QGCs from China's Sunny Marine Heavy Industry. The cranes arrived in Bangladesh after more than a year of construction.
Once the four new cranes are commissioned, the PCT's annual container handling capacity will increase from the current 250,000 TEUs to 600,000 TEUs. At the same time, it is expected that the waiting time of ships will be reduced and logistics costs will also be reduced.
Earlier, RSGT had invested US$26 million in procuring 14 Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes for the PCT. In the five months from January to May this year, 143,000 TEUs of containers were handled at the PCT. Once the new gantry cranes are operational, it is expected that the ship and container handling capacity will increase significantly.
It is worth noting that the Chittagong Port Authority built the PCT at a cost of about Tk 1,200 crore. RSGT was given the responsibility of operating the terminal under a 22-year contract in December 2023. According to the contract, the company has promised to invest US$170 million in the modernization and technological development of the terminal.
Source: Online/GFMM
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