--- title: "How to Choose the Right Port Crane for Your Terminal" url: https://yzcranes.com/how-to-choose-the-right-port-crane-for-your-terminal/ date: 2026-08-23 modified: 2026-08-22 lang: en author: "liudatou" description: "Common port crane types include ship-to-shore cranes (STS), rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTG), rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMG), mobile harbour cranes (MHC), and gantry cranes. STS cranes handle vessel-to-shore container work with..." categories: - "Uncategorized" image: https://yzcranes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/豫中第一张1-1024x482.jpg word_count: 2321 --- # How to Choose the Right Port Crane for Your Terminal Common port crane types include ship-to-shore cranes (STS), rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTG), rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMG), mobile harbour cranes (MHC), and gantry cranes. STS cranes handle vessel-to-shore container work with single-box cycle times of about 60–90 seconds and rated capacities usually between 40 and 65 tonnes. RTGs and RMGs handle yard operations—RTGs offer flexible redeployment, while RMGs deliver higher efficiency and lower energy use. MHCs are versatile and suit multi-purpose terminals, and gantry cranes commonly serve break-bulk and inland-river terminals. Your selection must consider annual throughput, vessel type, and cargo mix, and you should check coastal corrosion protection—C5-M marine-grade coating is the baseline for coastal port gear. Here is the thing: choosing a port crane is like choosing a heart surgeon—you do not pick based on price alone. You pick based on who can keep the patient alive under pressure, day after day, for twenty years. ## 1. What Is a Port Crane? Port crane is the collective term for lifting equipment at seaports, inland-river terminals, and container yards. It performs vessel loading and unloading, horizontal transfer, and yard stacking. Unlike standard factory or warehouse cranes, port cranes face higher demands for efficiency, wind resistance, corrosion protection, and longer operating hours. A typical port machine runs 5,000–7,000 hours per year, and STS cranes at some hub ports even exceed 8,000 hours. Equipment reliability directly determines port throughput—when a quay crane goes down, ships wait, and waiting ships cost money. Port cranes fall into two broad groups by work position: quay-side and yard equipment. Quay-side is represented by the STS crane, which works at the apron to move containers or break-bulk between vessel and shore. Yard equipment includes RTGs, RMGs, and gantry cranes that stack and retrieve containers within the yard. MHCs can handle both quay and yard work, which suits small and medium terminals with varied cargo and limited berths—and they require less upfront investment than fixed quay cranes. ## 2. Five Major Port Crane Types ### 1. Ship-to-Shore Crane (STS) Also known as a quay crane, the STS is the core machine at a container terminal apron. Its structure includes a portal, girder, trolley, hoist, and long-travel mechanism, with outreach covering 22–24 container-ship rows across. Single-box cycle time runs about 60–90 seconds, and dual-trolley STS cranes can cut this to 45–60 seconds. Rated capacity is usually 40–65 tonnes (under spreader), and some post-Panamax STS cranes exceed 80 tonnes. STS cranes suit dedicated container terminals with annual throughput above 500,000 TEU. Initial investment is high, but unit handling cost is the lowest of any port crane type. ### 2. Rubber-Tyred Gantry Crane (RTG) RTGs run on rubber tyres and can move flexibly within the yard. Their span usually covers six container rows plus one truck lane, with stacking heights reaching 4–6 containers and rated capacity of 40–50 tonnes (under spreader). Power comes from a diesel generator or shore supply. RTGs offer high maneuverability and lower initial cost than RMGs, making them a good fit for terminals with irregular yard shapes or future layout changes. They use more energy and offer slightly lower positioning accuracy though—a conventional diesel RTG consumes about 1.2–1.8 litres of diesel per container. ### 3. Rail-Mounted Gantry Crane (RMG) RMGs run on yard rails with spans covering 8–12 container rows and stacking heights reaching 5–8 containers, with some even exceeding 10. An electric RMG consumes about 0.8–1.2 kWh per container, which is more than 60% less than a diesel RTG—the energy savings alone can justify the switch for high-throughput yards. Positioning accuracy reaches ±25 mm, supporting automated-yard upgrades. RMGs suit large and automated terminals with throughput above 1 million TEU and deliver 15%–25% higher yard utilization than RTGs. The trade-off? Rail-foundation investment is higher, and redeployment is not possible. ### 4. Mobile Harbour Crane (MHC) An MHC is a slewing jib crane on a self-propelled chassis that moves freely on the quay. Rated capacity usually runs 80–200 tonnes, and some units exceed 300 tonnes. By changing attachments, MHCs handle containers, bulk cargo, break-bulk, and heavy lifts, which makes them well suited to multi-purpose terminals and inland ports. Single-box productivity is about 20–30 boxes per hour—lower than a dedicated STS—but flexibility is outstanding, and equipment investment is only 30%–50% of an STS. MHCs can switch between cargo types quickly, often in under thirty minutes. ### 5. Gantry Crane Port gantry cranes generally refer to rubber-tyred or rail-mounted units serving many inland-river terminals, break-bulk terminals, and railway freight yards. Rated capacities range from 5 to 500 tonnes with spans of 10 to 40 meters, and you can configure them with hooks, grabs, or electromagnetic beams depending on cargo type. For inland-river container terminals with 100,000–500,000 TEU, a large-span rail-mounted gantry can replace an STS and handle vessel-to-shore work at just 20%–30% of the cost. ### Comparison of the Five Types | Parameter | STS | RTG | RMG | MHC | Gantry Crane | | --------- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ------------ | | Primary use | Vessel-to-shore handling | Yard operations | Yard operations | Multi-purpose quay handling | Inland-river/break-bulk handling | | Rated capacity | 40–80 t | 40–50 t | 40–65 t | 80–300 t | 5–500 t | | Single-box cycle time | 60–90 s | 90–120 s | 80–110 s | 120–180 s | Cargo-dependent | | Power | Electric | Diesel/shore | Electric | Diesel/electric | Electric/diesel | | Yard utilization | N/A | Baseline | 15%–25% higher | N/A | Moderate | | Equipment investment | Highest | Moderate | Medium-high | Lower | Lowest | | Suitable scale | 500,000+ TEU | All scales | 1,000,000+ TEU | Small-to-medium/multi-purpose | Inland/break-bulk | ## 3. Matching Capacity to Throughput When you choose a port crane, capacity and efficiency must match the terminal's annual throughput. A single STS at a container terminal handles about 150,000–250,000 TEU per year, based on 5,000 operating hours and 25–30 moves per hour. From this, you can derive the number of STS cranes needed—for example, a 1 million TEU terminal needs at least 4–6 STS cranes, and yard equipment should follow at a ratio of 1:3 to 1:4. For break-bulk and heavy-lift terminals, base capacity on the maximum single-piece weight and consider vessel-turn-time needs. If a terminal must discharge 200-tonne lifts, choose an MHC or large gantry rated at least 250 tonnes to leave a safety margin of over 20%. Hoisting and luffing speeds affect throughput too—container hoist speeds usually run 50–90 m/min, and loaded lowering can exceed 120 m/min. Simply pursuing large capacity is uneconomical because each step up in capacity greatly increases weight, foundation cost, and energy use. For terminals handling mostly standard containers, 40–50 tonnes meets the vast majority of needs; you only need 65 tonnes or more for out-of-gauge containers, heavy lifts, or twin-box work. ## 4. Coastal Climate Protection: C5-M In coastal port environments, salt spray, high humidity, and UV radiation are the main corrosion drivers. The international standard ISO 12944 classifies atmospheric corrosion from C1 to C5, and C5-M (marine) represents the highest requirement for coastal port equipment. In a C5-M setting, plain carbon steel can corrode at 80–200 micrometers per year, and unprotected members may develop severe rust within 3–5 years. Which coating system meets C5-M? The process starts with blast-cleaning primary members to Sa2.5 with surface roughness of 40–80 micrometers. Then apply a zinc-rich primer (zinc content ≥80%) at least 60 micrometers thick, add an epoxy micaceous-iron mid-coat of at least 100 micrometers, and finish with a polyurethane or fluorocarbon coat of at least 60 micrometers. The total dry-film thickness should reach at least 240 micrometers, giving a design corrosion life of 15 years or more. Beyond coating, exposed bolts, pins, and connectors should be stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized. Electrical panels should rate at least IP55, and outdoor boxes at least IP66. Motors and gearboxes should have anti-condensation heaters to prevent internal moisture during shutdown, and some ports add a corrosion allowance to critical welds, reserving an extra 1–2 mm in structural calculations. Yuzhong's port gantry range comes standard with C5-M coating, Siemens motors, and SKF bearings, delivering stable long-term operation in high-salt-spray areas such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. ## 5. All-Weather Operation and Redundancy Port cranes generally need to run continuously at wind speeds below 20 m/s, and some are designed for slow operation at 25 m/s. They must withstand 55 m/s—equal to a Category 16 typhoon—when out of service. Wind-protection measures include rail clamps, anchoring devices, wind ties, and wind-speed alarms, and large STS cranes have long-travel anti-creep devices and anti-collision systems. Continuous operation puts very high demands on reliability, which is why critical mechanisms should use redundancy. The hoist has dual brakes, and either one can independently hold 1.25 times the rated load. The control system uses a redundant PLC architecture—if the main processor fails, a backup takes over within 20 milliseconds. The power supply has dual feeds or a backup diesel generator, ensuring the spreader can land safely during a sudden power loss. Rapid replacement of wear parts is equally important. Wire ropes, brake pads, and contactors should have common specs and quick-change structures. Mean time to repair (MTTR) should stay within 2 hours, mean time between failures (MTBF) should reach at least 500 hours, and the design life of critical mechanisms should be at least 20,000 hours. The manufacturer's after-sales response directly affects equipment availability, so 24-hour drawing delivery and a global spare-parts network are key selection factors. ## 6. Matching Crane Type to Terminal Scale Terminal scale and cargo characteristics are the decisive factors in selection. The following offers matching guidance by terminal type: **Large dedicated container terminals (above 1 million TEU):** Put STS cranes on the quay and use RMG-based automated operations in the yard. STS outreach should be at least 65 meters to handle 24,000-TEU vessels, and RMG span should cover 8–10 rows with 6–8-high stacking. This solution needs high investment but has the lowest long-term cost, suiting hub ports such as Shanghai and Singapore. **Medium container terminals (300,000–1 million TEU):** The quay can use STS or multiple MHCs, then put RTGs in the yard. RTGs allow flexible layout adjustment with 20%–30% lower initial cost than RMGs, which suits terminals with fast-growing but not yet stable throughput. **Multi-purpose terminals and inland ports:** The MHC is the first choice. A single 80–150-tonne MHC handles containers, break-bulk, and bulk cargo, and inland-river terminals can use large-span rail-mounted gantry cranes to replace STS, cutting equipment investment by over 60%. This approach suits small and medium ports along the Yangtze and Pearl Rivers. **Break-bulk and heavy-lift terminals:** Select gantry cranes or MHCs based on maximum single-piece weight. 5–50-tonne gantry cranes suit break-bulk such as steel and timber, while lifts above 100 tonnes need large-capacity MHCs or dedicated derrick cranes. Yuzhong's MG series gantry cranes cover 5–500 tonnes with spans of 10 to 40 meters and can be customized with attachment solutions based on cargo and vessel type. They have exported to more than 120 countries. ### Site Conditions and Planning The selection process should evaluate site facilities including quay load-bearing capacity, power supply, and channel depth. Rail-mounted equipment needs rail foundations and cable trenches during construction, and retrofitting later usually costs 3–5 times as much as building in from the start. It is wise to involve the crane manufacturer in process design during planning, because early involvement ensures equipment parameters match terminal conditions precisely and avoids costly rework later. ## Why Choose Yuzhong A port crane is not a machine you buy every ten years and forget about—it is a twenty-year partnership between steel, salt air, and shipping schedules. Yuzhong's port line covers the MG series general-purpose gantry crane from 5 to 500 tonnes with spans of 10 to 40 meters, together with the full range of 35-to-45-tonne container spreaders that pair with STS, RMG, and reach stacker fleets. That range covers inland-river break-bulk terminals, coastal container yards, and multi-purpose ports handling everything from steel coils to 20-foot boxes. The catch with coastal port equipment is that corrosion never sleeps. Yuzhong treats C5-M marine-grade coating as standard—not an upgrade—on every port-bound unit. The three-coat system (zinc-rich primer, epoxy micaceous-iron mid-coat, polyurethane finish) reaches 240 μm minimum dry-film thickness, and all outdoor electrical enclosures rate IP66 with anti-condensation heaters. Container spreaders come with synchronized twistlock detection and eccentric-load indication, because a dropped box at 40 moves per hour is not just a safety incident—it is a terminal-wide delay. Yuzhong holds ISO 14001 environmental management certification alongside FEM, ASME, and CE marks, and its equipment operates in over 120 countries. Every port gantry and spreader ships with Siemens motors and SKF bearings, and the company delivers custom drawings within 24 hours and sends engineers for on-site installation guidance. Which terminal type are you running—dedicated container, multi-purpose, or inland river? Send your throughput target and berth dimensions, and Yuzhong will size the right crane for the next twenty years. --- ## FAQ **What cranes are used in ports?** Ports use different crane types for different stages. Vessel-to-shore handling uses STS cranes, yard stacking uses RTGs or RMGs, and multi-purpose terminals and inland ports use MHCs or large-span gantry cranes. Container hub ports typically use an STS plus RMG combination for maximum throughput. **What is the difference between STS and RTG?** An STS is a quay crane at the apron that handles containers between vessel and shore and cannot be repositioned. An RTG is a rubber-tyred gantry crane working inside the yard that can be redeployed flexibly. The STS has higher single-box efficiency (60–90 s/box) and higher investment, while the RTG has lower efficiency (90–120 s/box) but offers good maneuverability and lower initial cost. They are complementary rather than interchangeable. **How much can a port crane lift?** Capacities vary greatly by type. STS and RTG/RMG cranes usually rate 40–65 tonnes (under spreader), MHCs reach 80–300 tonnes, and large-capacity gantry and heavy-lift cranes can exceed 500 tonnes. Base your choice on the maximum single-piece weight plus attachment weight with a safety factor, and do not blindly pursue large capacity. **What corrosion-protection grade is required for coastal port cranes?** Coastal port equipment should meet ISO 12944 C5-M (marine-grade) corrosion protection. Total coating dry-film thickness should be at least 240 micrometers, and primary structural members should be blast-cleaned to Sa2.5. High-salt-spray regions need stainless-steel connectors, IP66 enclosures, and anti-condensation heaters, with a design corrosion life of at least 15 years.