Port Everglades has received three Super Post-Panamax container gantry cranes, the largest of their kind on 17 November, with the option to buy three more of the same cranes.
The new cranes, designed and manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. Inc. (ZPMC), are part of the port’s US$3 billion 20-Year Master/Vision Plan Update, which will add new cargo berths, expand cruise and energy capacity and improve navigation channels to handle larger ships.
“The state-of-the-art cranes are pivotal to allowing our customers to grow their businesses in Broward County so that they can compete in the global marketplace,” said Port Everglades chief executive and port director, Jonathan Daniels.
“The advantage is that the extended reach of the cranes enables customers to work larger ships and gain economies of scale, thus making Port Everglades more competitive,” he added.
The three 53m high Super Post-Panamax container gantry cranes, valued at US$13.8 million each, have the ability to handle containers stacked eight high from a ship’s deck and reach 22 containers across the ship’s deck.
Crane Specifications:
| Reach & Lift: 22 Containers Wide, 8 Containers High on Deck Backreach: 35 Feet/10.6 Meters with Boom Fully Extended Capacity: 65 LT/66 MT (Long Tons = 2,240 pounds) Operational Date: January 2021 |
The Florida port has another seven gantry cranes in the Southport area, where most of the containerised cargo operations take place, which are only 46m high and limited to containers stacked six high and can reach across 16 containers.
In addition to purchasing the new cranes, the seven existing low-profile Post-Panamax gantry cranes in Southport will be upgraded to a lift capacity of 65 tonnes from the current 46.5 tonnes that will add the twin-pick capability (lifting two containers at a time).
All the cranes are being fitted with lighting that reduces the impact on nesting sea turtles by using lower light levels and limits the amount of light that spreads on the ground, according to an announcement.
The new cranes are part of the largest expansion project in the port’s history, which includes lengthening the Southport Turning Notch from 274m to 731.5m to allow for up to five new cargo berths which will add about 730,000TEU to the capacity of the port.
Port Everglades has also announced it is working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to deepen the port’s navigation channels from 13m to 14.5-15.5m and to widen narrower sections of the channel for safe vessel passage.
