The Hon. Attorney General briefed Cabinet on his visit to the St. John’s Port earlier this week to witness the arrival of a state-of-the-art Liebherr mobile harbour crane, which he said will transform port operations.
Government recently procured the Liebherr LHM 420 for the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority at a cost of US$6.2 million, marking a major step in the Port’s strategy to position Antigua and Barbuda as a leading logistics hub in the Eastern Caribbean.
The new asset will significantly improve efficiency and turnaround times for cargo handling and trans-shipment, strengthening competitiveness, attracting additional business, and supporting national revenue growth and job creation.
Equipped with advanced control systems and faster cycle times, the LHM 420 is expected to enable throughputs of up to 60 containers per hour, a performance level the Port considers a regional benchmark.
Implementation status and next steps include:
- Unloading & assembly: 18 components have already been off-loaded. The vessel foreman scheduled the crane discharge for Thursday, with container reloading on Friday.
- Commissioning team: A four-member team of German engineers is on island to lead reassembly at the Port Authority.
- Workforce readiness: A cohort of identified operators has begun hands-on training to ensure safe, efficient operations from day one.
