Posted on August 28, 2023
Four new Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore (STS) container cranes arrived at the Port of Savannah on Thursday, part of $1.9 billion in infrastructure improvements that will help boost capacity at the port.
The addition the cranes will bring Port of Savannah’s fleet to 34 machines at the Garden City Terminal, the largest single container terminal in North America, after four older cranes are retired and recycled.
“Along with the completion of our project to improve Berth 1, these cranes will help deliver faster turn times to our ocean carrier customers, including the largest vessels calling on the U.S. East Coast,” said Griff Lynch, Georgia Ports Authority president and CEO. “No other terminal in the nation can bring more cranes to bear, or match the efficiency, productivity and global connectivity of the Port of Savannah.”
Designed by Konecranes of Finland, the all-electric cranes arrived on the vessel BigLift Barentsz.
Two of the cranes will be 295 feet tall and two will be 306 feet tall at the highest point when fully assembled. The cranes will have the ability to reach 22 and 24 containers wide, respectively. The taller cranes will be offloaded at Berth 1 at Garden City Terminal, the others will be installed on the upriver end of the terminal, at Berth 9.
GPA received its first batch of four cranes in February to work the recently renovated Berth 1, which is now capable of serving vessels with a capacity of 16,000+ twenty-foot equivalent container units. All eight are set to become operational by December.
The cranes and improved dock will increase Garden City Terminal berth productivity by 25 percent, or 1.5 million TEUs of annual capacity.
The Georgia Ports Authority is investing in new cranes as part of a larger infrastructure improvement plan worth $1.9 billion to prepare for future supply chain needs.
“The ratio of GPA’s economic impact equates to roughly one job per nine TEUs moved,” said Stacy Watson, director of economic and industrial development at GPA. “By expanding our annual capacity by 3 million TEUs over the next three years, GPA is also increasing its job-supporting capability by more than 300,000 jobs for Georgians.”
