Gulftainer, the world's largest, privately owned, independent port operator based in the UAE, today announced that it had recorded gross crane productivity of 32.2 crane moves per hour at its flagship gateway terminal, Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT), in Port Khalid. The milestone feat achieved in April 2018, compares to the industry average of 25 crane moves per hour, and marks the highest productivity levels at SCT since its inception.

In addition, SCT registered a high volume of demand from customers for its new state-of-the-art warehouse facility in Port Khalid, named Shed 3. Inaugurated on 20 March 2018, the warehouse has already filled up to over one-third of its total capacity, with local businesses choosing it as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to other storage facilities in the area.

With well-provisioned storage space and advanced racking systems, Shed 3 replaces the existing Shed 2 space, which will be removed to facilitate the SCT capacity expansion through the extension of the rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) stacks.

Shed 3 is designed to store less than container load (LCL) shipments and loose-loaded cargo and includes a designated area for the storage of hazardous goods, certified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The new warehouse is also located in proximity to the container terminal yards and berths, offering the convenience of destuffing within the facility, as well as on-site customs clearance. In addition, as an introductory offer, customers are currently being provided discounted storage benefits and attractive payment solutions.

The achievements at SCT follow the appointment of Emerson Buarque as the new Terminal Manager. Having recently relocated to SCT from Gulftainer's Brazil operations, Buarque has extensive experience in the international markets administration and general management domains. He has held various senior leadership positions in port operations in Brazil, Europe and Africa, and has won several national and international accolades in projects, operations and health and safety management. Buarque graduated from the Brazilian Merchant Marine Academy in Rio de Janeiro, and completed his post-graduate studies in Business Administration, Port Management and General Management, in Brazil and Europe.

For his part, Emerson Buarque said: "Achieving this milestone at SCT demonstrates our commitment to consistently delivering best-in-class performance. It showcases our service reliability, faster vessel turn-around time, and potential to handle higher volumes and more vessel calls. SCT remains a key gateway for incoming and outgoing container traffic within the fast-growing trade sector in the UAE."

He added: "Our employee wellness programmes such as Positive Pulse, which has been recognised by the MEED health and wellness awards, validates that investing in the well-being of employees has significant productivity benefits. The importance of continuous employee training programmes on productivity records such as this one cannot be emphasised enough."