The cranes were designed in Finland and made in China. The Port ordered them two years ago from Konecranes VLC. They are capable of handling super post-Panamax size vessels as large as 22 containers wide. When assembled, the cranes will be 480-feet long, weigh 1,369 tons and stand at 367-feet above the water at a 34-degree incline.
With an eye to being environmentally responsible, the new cranes are electric, yearly eliminating the use of 500,000 gallons of diesel, emission of 690 tons of nitrogen oxide, four tons of particulate matter and 12 tons of hydrocarbons, according to the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA).
Doug J.Marchand, GPA executive director, says, “The new cranes will play a major role in enhancing productivity and capacity necessary to handle the growing volume of cargo at Savannah. They represent the promise of future growth and opportunity for our community and the state of Georgia.”
Some 2.6 million TEUs (Twenty foot Equivalent Unit containers) were handled through the Port of Savannah last year. Savannah is the fourth largest container port and sixth largest auto port in the US. In addition to receiving boosts in cargo from its existing base in 2007, it added new customers including Bunge North America, Bentley and Maserati.
In late January GPA approved two capital improvement projects aimed at creating additional capacity. A $10.895 million contract will serve to complete the Port’s Chatham Yard Intermodal Container Transfer Facility. A $4.586 million project will complete 42 additional acres of container storage in the GPA Container Berths 8 and 9.
“We are setting new records,” says Marchand, “exceeding service levels and moving forward with an aggressive, $1.2 billion capital improvement plan to grow our business to new heights and create more jobs and opportunities for the citizens of Georgia."
