Tisur orders 125-tonne crane for Peru's Matarani port

By Elena Vasquez

Tisur has ordered a 125-tonne mobile harbor crane for southern Peru’s Port of Matarani as part of a US$598 million modernization program. Tisur expects the Konecranes Gottwald ESP.6 to enter service by the end of the first quarter of 2027.

Booked in the third quarter of 2026, the order marks Konecranes’ first sale of a factory-new mobile harbor crane in Peru. It covers a Konecranes Gottwald ESP.6 Mobile Harbor Crane.

Tisur, formally Terminal Internacional del Sur, did not disclose the crane price. The US$598 million figure covers the wider modernization program rather than a disclosed value for the ESP.6.

What will the crane handle at Matarani?

The ESP.6 has a maximum lifting capacity of 125 tonnes and will serve containers, general cargo and project cargo. For project cargo, that establishes a 125-tonne ceiling for one lift; for container operations, the announcement provides no TEU-per-lift conversion or crane rate.

The ESP.6 is not a container-only machine. Its stated duties span three cargo classes, and the motor grab adds bulk handling, so one multipurpose terminal asset will serve several cargo streams.

Tisur expects the equipment to strengthen Matarani’s cargo-handling capability. The crane will serve three cargo classes, giving shippers and forwarders a 125-tonne handling option at the multipurpose terminal.

The announcement provides no annual throughput gain, berth-productivity change or handling tariff. Carriers therefore cannot yet quantify a faster vessel turnaround or lower port cost, and forwarders have no stated rate benefit to pass to customers. The announcement names no ocean carrier or vessel service.

Why did Tisur order another Gottwald crane?

Tisur already operates a pre-owned Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Crane manufactured in the 1990s. Mauricio Nuñez del Prado, Tisur’s general manager, said: “Our existing crane has proven its reliability over many years. We wanted to build on that experience with a new, high-performance crane to support our ambitious plans for the port.”

The older unit’s performance helped establish the confidence behind the latest purchase, which Konecranes described as a significant breakthrough for its mobile harbor crane business in Peru. For Matarani, the deal adds a factory-new machine while drawing on Tisur’s long experience with the older Gottwald unit.

Alfredo Canibano, regional sales manager at Konecranes Port Solutions, said: “We’re delighted to break new ground in Peru together with Tisur. Our relationship with them demonstrates the value of working closely with customers over the long term, supported by reliable equipment and a strong local service network.”

What changes with the hybrid drive?

The ESP.6 will include a motor grab for bulk handling and a hybrid drive incorporating capacitors. Konecranes says that system will reduce energy consumption and emissions, while creating a pathway to fully electric operation in the future.

For Matarani, the motor grab adds a bulk-handling function to the same unit serving containers, general cargo and project cargo. No energy-saving percentage, emissions reduction or capital cost accompanies the announcement, so the claimed benefits cannot yet be compared with the US$598 million program.

That equipment arrives as part of a modernization program intended to support wider cargo-handling gains and a transition toward more sustainable port operations. For carriers and shippers, the commercial benefit will depend on actual handling performance. The announcement specifies no TEU capacity, annual tonnage gain or operating-cost saving.

Commissioning by the end of the first quarter of 2027 is the next fixed milestone. Matarani’s ability to turn the US$598 million program into measurable cargo capacity will then depend on the ESP.6 entering service and its hybrid system delivering the expected energy and emissions reductions.