Kalmar has signed a service agreement with Total Terminal International Algeciras (TTI Algeciras) in Spain, covering preventive and corrective maintenance for eight ship-to-shore (STS) cranes and 32 automated stacking cranes (ASC) at one of the Mediterranean's principal container transhipment hubs.

The order was booked in Kalmar's third-quarter 2026 order intake. For the equipment maker, the deal deepens an installed base that already includes 23 Kalmar straddle carriers operating at the Andalusian terminal.

The commercial stakes are considerable. TTI Algeciras is jointly controlled by South Korean carrier HMM, which holds 50% plus one share, and CMA CGM's terminal arm, CMA Terminals Espagne, which controls the remaining shares. The terminal is one of two container facilities at the Port of Algeciras Bay and holds the distinction of being the first semi-automated container terminal in Southern Europe.

Its position on the Strait of Gibraltar lets it handle ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs), and maintenance reliability directly affects berth productivity for the liner customers that route cargo through the hub.

Expansion raises the bar

The service agreement lands mid-way through a two-phase expansion. The first phase will expand the terminal's footprint to 460,000sqm and raise annual capacity to 2.1m TEU by 2028. A planned second phase would push throughput capability further, to 2.8m TEU per year.

For shippers and carriers transhipping via the western Mediterranean, that capacity trajectory matters. Algeciras competes with Spanish and Moroccan rivals for Asia–Europe and transatlantic relay cargo, and equipment uptime on STS and ASC units determines how quickly ULCVs can turn around at the quay.

Alonso Luque, CEO of TTI Algeciras, framed the deal in exactly those terms: "We chose Kalmar to deliver mechanical preventive maintenance for our STS and ASC equipment because we value their professional, highly responsive service team and proven track record. Reliable maintenance is essential to ensure maximum operational efficiency and equipment uptime as we continue servicing next-generation Ultra Large Container Vessels at our terminal."

Sergio Peralta, Country Director for Spain at Kalmar, said: "We are very proud to expand our long-standing partnership with TTI Algeciras through this new Kalmar Care service agreement. Our dedicated local team is committed to delivering service excellence and ensuring high equipment availability to support TTI Algeciras as a premier semi-automated transshipment hub in Southern Europe."

Service revenue as strategy

For Kalmar, the agreement extends the service-revenue logic that now underpins much of the port equipment sector: manufacturers increasingly monetise the installed base through multi-year care contracts rather than relying on one-off machine sales. TTI Algeciras's fleet of 40 cranes under the agreement — eight STS units plus 32 ASCs — represents a steady annuity for Kalmar's Spanish service organisation.

For the terminal's owners, the calculus is equally direct. As volumes scale toward the 2.1m TEU target, unplanned crane downtime becomes progressively more expensive in lost berth windows and delayed vessel departures.

The Port of Algeciras has separately approved a €677m investment plan running to 2030, signalling continued infrastructure commitment around the terminal.

With phase one capacity due by 2028 and phase two pencilled in beyond that, expect maintenance and automation contracts like this one to multiply as Algeciras positions itself for the next generation of ULCV traffic through the Strait of Gibraltar.