Manila South Harbour adds 6 hybrid cranes for faster turnarounds

It now operates 29 RTG cranes as DP World and ATI strengthen cargo handling.

UAE-based DP World and Philippines-based Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) have commissioned six hybrid Rubber-Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes at Manila South Harbour (MSH), strengthening the terminal’s cargo-handling capabilities.

China-based Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. manufactured the RTGs, which use hybrid technology to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

The cranes are equipped with automatic gantry steering, emergency stop systems, anti-sway technology, truck detection, and chassis positioning. They are also designed for future conversion to fully electric operations.

The new hybrid equipment can stack six containers high, bringing MSH’s RTG fleet to 29 units and supporting faster truck turnaround, DP World said.

The investment forms part of the continued modernisation of MSH through seaside and landside infrastructure projects, cargo-handling equipment, digital technologies, and systems upgrades.

In early 2025, ATI and DP World inaugurated an extended Pier 3, equipped with two new quay cranes, amongst the largest in the Philippines.

Together, these investments increased MSH’s annual container-handling capacity by nearly 40%, from 1.45 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2021 to 2.0 million TEUs in 2025.

ATI and DP World also introduced 15 fully electric Internal Transfer Vehicles (eITVs) at MSH in 2025, supported by quick-charging stations in what they described as a first for the Philippines.

By the end of 2026, MSH is expected to deploy three electric empty container handlers, two electric reach stackers, and an additional 15 eITVs.

“Our goal is to help shape the next generation of Philippine trade infrastructure,” said William Khoury, DP World APAC Vice President for Ports & Terminals Southeast Asia and ATI Director.

The transformation of MSH forms part of ATI and DP World’s wider investment programme across Manila, Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna, focused on developing trade infrastructure to support the long-term growth of the Philippine economy.