To further improve the quality and efficiency of its container yard services, this year (2021) the Port of Keelung, TIPC has scheduled maintenance and repair work on two container cranes. Work on BC-253 at West Wharf No. 25 was completed on April 20th. Work on BC-262 at West Wharf No. 26 is ongoing and scheduled to be completed by September 30th. The reintroduced container cranes will increase significantly the speed, reliability, and efficiency of container handling operations. The primary focus of work is on structural repair and maintenance, with covered items including the cranes' main rope wires, rust and old paint removal, hoist ropes, support ropes, engine room, and crane cab. Work on container crane BC-253 at West Wharf No. 25 was completed on April 20th, and it is now back in service with a fresh coat of TIPC-themed red paint. BC-253 has been fine-tuned for smooth, efficient operations and is operating at 99.5% of its factory-spec rating. It now regularly handles up to 32 containers per hour compared to the current port average of 25 containers. Repair and maintenance work on BC-262 at West Wharf No. 26 began on April 7th and is scheduled for completion by September 30th at the latest. Given good weather, all work could wrap up by the end of August. In addition, Port of Keelung West Wharf Nos. 22 and 23 were dredged in 2016 to a standard water depth of -15m, making these the port's deepest-water wharves, capable of handling trunk-route container ships up to 10,000 TEU (draught). To maximize efficiency, these deep-water wharves were fitted with three 19-row, dual-lift container cranes, with another four, 16-row, 5+1 rail-mounted gantry cranes installed to raise the handling capacity of the adjacent storage yard to a maximum 6,041 TEU. Wharves 22 and 23 are now primarily engaged in handling regular port calls by ships of The Alliance that ply the Trans-Pacific trunk route between Asia and the Pacific Southwest (US), with container ships running regional and cross-Strait routes taking up most of the remainder of the work time available at these wharves. These two wharves have been well received by the port's shipping customers and currently serve as the Port of Keelung's main public container wharves. Port of Keelung, TIPC continually optimizes its container wharf facilities to increase ship-to-shore container handling efficiencies and maximize equipment operating effectiveness. These activities not only ensure smooth, normal operations at the port's public container wharves but also enhance the attractiveness of these wharves to ocean carrier customers. In the expected rapid recovery of shipping demand following the end of the current pandemic, the Port of Keelung will work closely with container wharf operators and provide timely, targeted support to optimize container flows, yard storage availability, and overall port operations to efficiently handle incoming container volumes and avoid congestion. Provided by: Stevedoring & Warehousing Dept., Port of Keelung, TIPC Contact Person: Shui-chin Hsieh, Supervisor Telephone No.:02-24206453 E-mail Address:sain@twport.com.tw