North Otago's oldest container crane will be gone before the summer.
The company's chief executive, Geoff Plunket, told the Otago Daily Times last week the 32-year-old "No 1" Vickers Paceco gantry crane would be scrapped - reducing the number of container cranes at the port to three.
The 46-tonne crane is rarely used now, with most of the work at the port done by two much more modern and efficient 60-tonne ZPMC gantry cranes.
Mr Plunket said a specialist contractor would be engaged "quite soon" to dismantle the crane for scrap.
"There's no market for a second-hand crane."
The scrap will offset some, but not all, of the cost of dismantling the crane.
The crane, at the northern end of the wharf, has already been decommissioned and Mr Plunket said it was planned to have it removed during the quieter time at the port between now and November.
"You can't do this sort of work in peak season."
Port Otago had planned to scrap the crane last year but ran out of time.
Mr Plunket said most container ships required two cranes, although a small number of larger vessels required three.
Three cranes were also used when two container ships were in port together but that was "comparatively rare".
Mr Plunket said "within five years" the port would need to look at replacing the other old crane with a new crane worth about $10 million.
"Ultimately, we will have three blue ZPMC's on the wharf here at Port Chalmers."
Port Otago has ordered two new straddle carriers worth a total of $3.2 million, which are due in December.
It is also planning to refurbish its plant maintenance area and lift the roof of the straddle maintenance bay by 9m.
The result would be a better fit for the bigger, modern straddle carriers and better working conditions for staff.
