DP World Receives New Electric Cranes as Santos Terminal Expansion Advances

DP World began a new phase of its terminal expansion at the Port of Santos in September with the arrival of two quay cranes (QCs) and six rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs). The equipment is part of an investment plan worth more than R$2 billion aimed at modernizing Brazilian port infrastructure and improving logistics efficiency in foreign trade.

The equipment is part of an acquisition program that will ultimately include four new quay cranes and 15 RTGs. This first batch, together with efforts to optimize the use of infrastructure that is already licensed, will help increase the terminal’s operating capacity to 1.7 million TEUs by the end of 2026, while also improving cargo-handling productivity and efficiency.

The new equipment will increase productivity and efficiency across terminal operations. The quay cranes handle containers between vessels and the quay, helping reduce vessel turnaround times. The RTGs, meanwhile, move and organize containers in storage yards, improving space utilization and keeping cargo flows moving more efficiently. The new fleet is part of the DP World Santos terminal expansion and comes as the company responds to growing demand from Brazil’s foreign trade sector.

The second delivery phase is scheduled for early 2027, when all four quay cranes and 15 RTGs are expected to be incorporated into DP World’s Santos terminal. This next stage is part of the broader expansion plan which, together with new infrastructure arrangements, will increase the terminal’s total capacity to 2.1 million TEUs in the coming years.

“We are expanding our operating capacity to meet the growth of Brazilian foreign trade with greater efficiency, productivity and sustainability,” said Fabio Siccherino, CEO of DP World Brazil.

DP World Santos Terminal Expansion Adds Technology and Sustainability

Manufactured by China’s ZPMC, one of the world’s leading suppliers of port equipment, the new quay cranes were designed to increase operational productivity and handle larger vessels calling along the Brazilian coast.

Each crane has a 72-meter outreach — 7 meters more than the models currently operating at the terminal — and stands 56 meters high from the quay to the boom, roughly equivalent to an 18-story building.

The quay cranes feature an intelligent operating system based on Siemens technology and can handle up to 65 tonnes using a Twin Twenty spreader for two 20-foot containers, or 50 tonnes for a single container. They can also handle up to 80 tonnes under hook for special and non-containerized cargo.

The new RTGs are fully electric and are already equipped for remote operation in the future. Each unit is 18.2 meters high and can handle loads of up to 41 tonnes. Once all 15 new RTGs are in operation, they are expected to avoid 4,250 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year compared with equipment powered exclusively by diesel. The addition of the new electric RTGs reinforces DP World’s decarbonization strategy. The company has already operated a fleet of 22 fully electrified RTGs since 2025.

In addition, the company added 15 fully electric internal terminal vehicles (eITVs) and three electric reach stackers (eRSs) in May this year, while most of the electricity it uses comes from certified renewable sources. The initiatives are helping reduce carbon emissions and are aligned with DP World Group’s global target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

The expansion of operating infrastructure strengthens DP World’s ability to accommodate growing container volumes at the Port of Santos and improve the efficiency of port operations, supporting the development of Brazilian logistics and multimodal integration.

Source: DP World

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