ZPMC signed the contract with COSCO Shipping Port Co., Ltd. on 3 STSs for PCT Terminal of Piraeus Port in Greece on May 27th. The contract was signed on the cloud platform for the first time with the video linkage of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Athens in Greece. 

Piraeus Port, a flagship project by COSCO Shipping Port along the Belt and Road, lies in the southeast of Greece, near the city of Athens. It is of top 50 container ports in the world and one of the largest container ports in the east of Mediterranean. It is also the largest port of Mediterranean and the 4th largest one in Europe, providing more than 10,000 jobs for the local residents directly and indirectly, which General Secretary Xi Jinping considered as the “successful practice and excellent realization of the Belt and Road Initiative”. The growth of the container handling capacity of the Port slowed down in the first quarter due to the impact of the pandemic; however, it still had the year-on-year growth of 3.9%, handling 1.23million TEU. 

ZPMC sold STSs to Piraeus Port of Greece for the first time in 2010 and 4 STSs were purchased by PPA Greece in two batches. PCT Terminal purchased 19 STSs and 16 RMGs from ZPMC after COSCO Shipping Port starting the operation of Piraeus Port. 8 STSs in the latest purchasing had been delivered and put into operation in 2018. These STSs, with the maximum extending distance of 72m, maximum hoisting height of 54m above the surface of the terminal and hoisting weight of 80t under the spreader, can pick up two 40/45ft containers or four 20ft containers at the same time. It is one of the largest STSs in the world with the independent dual-hoisting system by the Company with the patent authorization. It can meet the requirements on the operation capacity of 22,000TEU vessels, the largest in the world, in Piraeus Port, providing the technical support for the busy container handling of the Port. 

This contract was signed successfully by different parties after hard work for several months, including the online communications at video and telephone meetings, despite the impact of COVID-19. These STSs will be equipped with the advanced remote operation and control system. This contract signing is an opportunity to provide more solid foundation for the strategic cooperation between ZPMC and COSCO Shipping Port.