NEW cranes at Greenock’s freight port are to be called Craner Swift and U-Crane Bolt after a pair of creative schoolkids won the chance to name the huge structures.
Avaleigh Lang of Lady Alice Primary in Greenock, chose Craner Swift as a nod to the US pop icon Taylor Swift, while Frances McFadden of St Mary’s Primary opted for U-Crane Bolt as a tribute to the Jamaican Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt.
The pair were chosen as joint winners after pupils in the town were asked to find the most imaginative names for the vital pieces of infrastructure, due to arrive at the Port of Greenock later this year.
Port owner Peel Ports Clydeport ran the competition in partnership with Inverclyde Council.
Construction of the two 39-metre-tall cranes has been completed in Ireland ahead of their arrival in the coming months to Greenock. It is expected they will be fully operational later this year, following stringent testing.
The £25million cranes are the largest single investment made at the container terminal and comes less than a year after a £20million cruise ship visitor centre opened at the neighbouring Greenock Ocean Terminal.
The cranes will boost productivity and efficiency, bringing more opportunities for global connections and worldwide trade into Greenock, boosting its position as a major Scottish port.
Jim McSporran, port director, said: “We all loved Avaleigh’s and Frances’s suggestions for the names of our new cranes.
“The names give a nod to the capabilities of our new cranes, so they were the standout choices and really raised a smile within our team, and we hope interest within the wider community too.
“I’d like to thank all children that entered the competition. We would be really pleased to have Avaleigh and Frances as our guests when we unveil Craner Swift and U-Crane Bolt, which will become an important part of our local skyline for decades to come.
“They will significantly expand our freight capability at the port, as well as improve efficiency and help significantly reduce our carbon footprint, so it’s a really exciting time for us as a business and also for the local region and west coast of Scotland.”
Primary six pupil Avaleigh said: “I’m a big Taylor Swift fan and I’m really pleased to win.”
Frances, also in primary six, said: “U-Crane Bolt made people in my class laugh, so it’s great to hear it was chosen as a winner.”
A ceremonial plaque with the names will be displayed alongside the cranes and Peel Ports Clydeport will make a donation to each pupil’s school to support the purchase of supplies.
Councillor Francesca Brennan, Inverclyde Council’s vice-convener of education and communities, said: “This is a fun way to get our young people involved in the ongoing redevelopment of the Port of Greenock and secure their own little piece of history by naming the two new cranes.
“Well done to Avaleigh and Frances and I’m sure they will now be watching on with great interest for the cranes arriving later this year. Who knows, their namesakes might be watching on now too.”
