PortNOLA: More cranes, more ships, more service

Port moves doubles purchase order for new larger container cranes

The Port of New Orleans Board of Directors has approved the purchase of two more 100-foot gauge gantry cranes.

The port will amend a contract with Shanghai Zenhua Heavy Industries to add two more cranes to an existing order already on the books. PortNOLA will pay upwards of $47-million for the cranes.

The new cranes are the 100-foot gauge allowing the port to load and unload larger ships with greater efficiency. Increasing containship traffic and the need for faster turnarounds and to service bigger ships is why the port placed the first order back in March and has now expanded the order.

The addition of four new 100-foot gauge cranes will mean freeing up the smaller 50-foot gauge cranes for smaller ships. The Port’s Strategic Master Plan predicts containerized cargo growth has consistently increased in recent years, fueling the establishment of container-on-barge services, ancillary services, and industrial growth.

_{Source: wwl.radio.com}