The historic port of Chittagong on the Bay of Bengal is undergoing a renaissance as-infrastructure and economic development in the region drive rapidly expanding trade volumes through this major-export/import centre of Bangladesh.

The bustling city of 3.5 million-has seen container volumes treble to more than a million containers a year over the past decade as the emerging economies of Asia – including neighbouring giant India – power their way into the 21st century.

Developments such as the-Asian Highway –an international network of 141,000 km of standard highways crisscrossing Asian countries—are expected to further expand regional cooperation among the mainland countries of Asia and to further stimulate development in Chittagong,-a trading centre which dates from at least the fourth century B.C. when Malayan history chronicles the journey of the sailor Buddha Gupta from Chittagong to Malaya. It has evolved from ancient times as a major Arabian port, then Portugal’s Porte Grande and later as a-strategic site of allied operations during the Second World War.

Trade is forever the city’s lifeblood, with most of Bangladesh’s export and imports counted among the 30-plus million tons of cargo handled annually at the rapidly modernising port, where a window berthing system was introduced in 2007 to facilitate accurate arrival and departure times for ship operators.

“We can see container volumes easily trebling again in the next five years, reaching  two,three or four million containers or more” said local business leader and former Chittagong Ports Authority senior engineer Mr Zahirul Hoq.

“Bangladesh’s own national export growth is sufficient to double or treble exports by itself over the coming decade, even allowing for the economic slowdown having its major effect in developing countries later this year and early 2010. Then there is the positive impact of the Asian highway, on which good political and physical progress is now being made – and the opportunities opening up with India’s-seven “sister” states around Bangladesh seeking an outlet for their wares,” said Mr Hoq, who is – Director (Equipment) of Allied-Steel (HK) company, Bangladesh agent for the global Konecranes lifting businesses. Konecranes is integrally involved in the expansion of the port through major Bangladeshi company KDS Logistics Ltd.

KDS Group installed further world-class Konecranes lifting technologies as it expands its operations, originally founded on the clothing business but now extending through KDS Logistics into the country’s largest and most modern Inland  Container Depot (ICD).

This facility is capable of holding 20,000 containers at any one time on a 20-hectare (46-acre) site in a congestion-free area on the outskirts of Chittagong, on the Dhaka Chittagong highway 25 minutes from the sea port.

With a real-time computerised truck handling facility, computerised weighbridge and space for 700 trucks inside its secure environment, the ICD features a  container Freight Station build to world’s best standards that can handle  120 trucks under cover simultaneously, for loading and unloading (stuffing and unstuffing) of goods such as cotton, jute and food products.

The Konecranes fleet employed on the site included a fleet of four SMV 7/8 ECB 90 empty container handlers and three SMV 4531 TB 5 reach stackers.

These were based on the latest ports handling technology of Konecranes, which employs more than 9700 people at more than 485 locations in 43 countries and has more than 366,000 cranes of all brands under service contracts.

The company is a world-leading provider of lifting and maintenance solutions, with a track record in pioneering, leading and shaping developments in the industry and an enduring strength in ports and materials handling.

Leading the way in the application of Canbus technology and electronic controls for lift trucks, Konecranes extended its revolutionary system to provide real time data about the controls, hydraulics, engines, transmissions and spreaders, which can be downloaded remotely and stored for analysis. Using “Eco Drive System” port operators can track drivers in terms of fuel consumption, productive hours, time driving versus lifting, container lifts to name a few.

Swedish-based Konecranes Lifttrucks opened its second production facility in 2007, in Shanghai, China which is now the Lifttrucks Production, Sales and Technical Support hub for the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore is enhanced as a regional sub-hub with a recent relocation to larger premises.

The Shanghai plant assembles Empty Container Handlers and Reach Stackers of the type employed by KDS. Key components are imported from Europe with emphasis on quality and knowledge transfer from Sweden. Konecranes believes the Asia market is receptive to latest technology and has adopted the strategy of maintaining the brand’s good reputation of superior performance.

Not only is the Konecranes technology efficient, but the lift trucks are also well equipped for safety and environmental aspects, such as minimising noise and carbon pollution.

Environmental concern and safety are built in with Konecranes. Quality is built in, right through from performance to aesthetics, which also can be important, because presentation is important in the marketplace.

In association with Allied Steel, KDS has showcased for Konecranes technology, demonstrating efficiency and productive capacity to other companies in the region that have not previously been exposed to the brand. Sales have followed to Chittagong Container Transportation Co (two empty container handlers) and Incotrade Limited (reach stacker). More are being negotiated.

The General Manager of Konecranes Pte Ltd, Mr Steve Gagnuss, says the company’s focus on quality and local production in Asia is paying dividends.

“Konecranes as group has adopted an aggressive growth strategy in Asia with its China and broader Asian workforce now exceeding 1000 people. Through sales and service centres throughout China and through the broader south Asia region of Konecranes Pte Ltd, we have been able to rapidly build an enduring market presence in ports, logistics and other markets.

“Our latest generation of reach stackers builds on many years of development work and close partnership with our customers. This means that we can offer a highly modern lift truck based on carefully selected components and a fuel-efficient engine that delivers high torque even at low rpm.

“Customers also get access to a string of innovative solutions to simplify their work. Konecranes is proud to claim to be the only company with load-sensing Ôpower-on demand’ hydraulics on all of our trucks, from empty container handler to the largest top-loaders and reach stackers. Unlike conventional hydraulic system that require high power output, the load-sensing system adapts the engine power the load weight lifted, resulting in better fuel consumption and less engine wear, along with reduced emissions.

“Konecranes is confident and committed to the Asia region as a lifting company. One example of this is the fact that is Konecranes has been rewarded with an order for four new-generation rubber tired gantry (RTG) cranes from Indonesian port operator PT Terminal Petikemas Surabaya (TPS).

Konecranes’ strategy is based on the combination of capitalising their extensive service network, leading technology, fast paced industrial consolidation, and a focus on efficient supply chains.