Konecranes lands first overseas ESP.4 crane order in Bermuda

Bermuda's Stevedoring Services Limited (SSL) has ordered a Konecranes Gottwald ESP.4 Mobile Harbor Crane — the first order for the model outside Europe. The deal, booked in the third quarter of 2026, is Konecranes' first overseas breakthrough for the smallest crane in its Generation 6 range. Delivery is scheduled for the third quarter of 2027.

The numbers explain why SSL wants the machine. The ESP.4 lifts up to 100 tonnes, against 60 tonnes for the operator's existing Gottwald HMK 170 E. Maximum working radius reaches 42 metres. Hoisting speeds run up to 120 metres per minute. That's a step change for a small-port operation that has relied on a 2011-vintage crane for more than a decade.

SSL plans to deploy the crane primarily for container handling. It will also add lifting capacity for general and project cargo — work that often sits outside the comfort zone of older, slower equipment.

What does the order change for Bermuda's port?

The practical question is throughput and cargo range. Faster hoisting at 120 metres per minute means quicker box cycles at the quay. The jump from 60 to 100 tonnes of lifting capacity opens the door to heavier project lifts that previously required alternative arrangements or simply weren't feasible.

Konecranes positions the ESP.4 as the entry model of its Generation 6 range, which the Finnish manufacturer expanded with the ESP.4's introduction earlier this year. The design brief targets smaller ports: a compact structure paired with high lifting speeds and flexible cargo-handling capability. For a market like Bermuda, where quay space and port infrastructure constrain what equipment fits, that combination matters as much as raw capacity.

Randy Rochester, CEO of Stevedoring Services Limited, said SSL picked the crane for its lifting performance, operating speed and suitability for Bermuda's port infrastructure. He also pointed to the operator's track record with its existing Konecranes crane and the manufacturer's technical support as factors in the decision.

Alan Garcia, Vice President Regional Sales Americas at Konecranes Port Solutions, framed the Bermuda order as a chance to put the ESP.4 in front of additional port operators outside Europe. In plain terms: a reference installation on the western side of the Atlantic gives the sales team a live showcase for a model that, until this quarter, had only sold within Europe.

Modernisation, not expansion

The order forms part of SSL's equipment modernisation programme. The operator took delivery of an earlier-generation Konecranes Gottwald crane back in 2011, so the ESP.4 replaces capability that is now 15 years old by the time it arrives in 2027. This is fleet renewal aimed at keeping pace with cargo demands, not a capacity land-grab.

The ESP.4 also carries the digital tools and smart features Konecranes built for the Generation 6 mobile harbor crane range — functionality intended to squeeze more flexibility out of a smaller footprint.

Konecranes has not disclosed the contract value, and the operational gains will hinge on how SSL deploys the crane after its planned 2027 delivery. Still, the order signals where demand sits: equipment that lifts more and moves faster without demanding the space of larger crane models. If more small-port operators in the Americas reach the same conclusion, the ESP.4's first overseas sale won't be its last.