Broward County’s Port Everglades is progressing with manufacturing the first three new Super Post-Panamax container-handling gantry cranes being built by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries of China.
The design phase is nearing completion, with Port Everglades CEO Steven Cernak issuing a second notice to proceed to begin manufacturing the cranes valued at US$13.8m each.
“This is a significant step towards the delivery and installation of the first three Super Post-Panamax cranes later next year,” Cernak said. “Our customers need larger cranes now to be able to handle cargo already arriving on larger ships from South America and Europe.”
The new cranes will have the ability to handle containers stacked eight containers high and reach across 22 containers on a ship's deck.
Port Everglades' existing seven gantry cranes in the Southport area, where the majority of the Port's containerised cargo handling takes place, are limited to containers stacked six containers high and only reach across 16 containers on a ship’s deck.
In addition to purchasing the new cranes, existing cranes will be upgraded to a lift capacity of 65 tons from the current 46.5 tons.
The new cranes are part of the Port’s largest expansion project in its history, which includes lengthening the Southport Turning Notch from 900 feet to 2,400 feet to allow for up to five new cargo berths.
