Motherwell Bridge has won a contract to construct and commission 16 cranes for container terminals in West Africa. The company’s Maltese facility will deliver 12 rubber-tyred gantry cranes to a container terminal in Togo and four to a container terminal in Cameroon. This will be the first time that Motherwell Bridge has deployed its specialist teams in West Africa.

Its mechanical and electrical engineers will start work on the project in the next few weeks, and the entire project should be finished within six months. The contract was announced during a visit to Motherwell Bridge’s Hal Far premises in Malta by Chris Cardona, who is the Scottish Executive’s Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business.

He said: “While Malta has focused on growing its service sector in recent years, you prove here in Hal Far that manufacturing continues to make a major contribution to the economy. You have invested in technology, innovation and training, you have enhanced your skills base, and you have kept your order book healthy. This is a success story that we should all celebrate.”

Chairman Steve Tarr said: “This contract takes us to a new market with very distinct operational environments. Electrical and mechanical maintenance and management are core capabilities at Motherwell Bridge. This project will be an opportunity for us to showcase Maltese engineering expertise that could also be of interest to other sectors in the region, particularly oil and gas.”