Neopanamax cranes arrive at Port of Savannah

(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/13/2020)

The Port of Savannah received three neopanamax ship-to-shore cranes on Tuesday, bringing the port’s total to 36 — the most of any single terminal in North America, the Georgia Ports Authority announced yesterday.

Designed by Konecranes of Finland, the new cranes will immediately undergo a commissioning process. The first new crane will enter service in about 12 weeks; all three will be loading and unloading vessels by the end of June, port officials said in a press release.

Along with dock improvements at Garden City Terminal, the port’s growing crane fleet will enable the port to serve simultaneously four vessels of 14,000 20-foot-equivalent units of cargo by 2023, said Griff Lynch, the port authority’s executive director.

“We’re already moving containers from vessel to rail in 24 hours, and these investments will help to ensure cargo fluidity as our business grows,” Lynch said.

Three other cranes arrived in Savannah in December 2019. When fully raised and assembled, the cranes tower 295 feet above the docks, which puts them among the largest cranes working at U.S. ports today.