Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) Bangladesh, the operator of Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) at Chattogram port, is set to invest around $30 million for purchasing four state-of-the-art ship-to-shore (STS) cranes in order to boost the terminal’s operational capacity.

The company has recently signed an agreement with the Chinese firm SANY Marine Heavy Industry for the purchase, according to a press release issued by the company. The investment comes after the recent acquisition of 14 rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) for $26 million, according to the statement. RSGT Bangladesh, a subsidiary of the Saudi company RSGTI and Bangladesh’s first international terminal operator, expects to receive all equipment by the first quarter of next year. The new STS cranes, which will be custom-built for the PCT, will enable the handling of larger vessels at Chattogram port, according to the statement.

Scheduled for deployment in early 2026, the cranes are expected to enhance PCT’s annual container handling capacity from 250,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 600,000 TEUs, significantly improving efficiency and reducing logistics costs. RSGT is working closely with the Chittagong Port Authority and other key stakeholders, including the planning ministry, the National Board of Revenue, customs, and industry associations, to align operations and ensure efficiency. Earlier, RSGT Bangladesh signed a 22-year concession agreement with Chattogram port in December 2023 to operate the new Patenga Container Terminal.  Since the commencement of partial operations in June last year, geared vessels equipped with onboard cranes have been berthed at the terminal, with only export containers being handled.