Houston awards crane contracts

   The Port of Houston Authority’s commission Tuesday awarded a contract worth nearly $50 million to Konecranes Finland Corp. for four electric wharf cranes at Barbours Cut Container Terminal.
   The commission also amended a contract with Konecranes for eight diesel electric container yard cranes for Barbours Cut to include three additional diesel electric container yard cranes for the Bayport Terminal at a cost of $5.9 million.
   Len Waterworth, the port’s executive director, said total tonnage at authority facilities for the month of April was flat when compared to the same 2012 period, but that container tonnage was up 6 percent. The increase in container tonnage is being offset by declines in steel, he noted. Grain and coal tonnage was up. – Chris Dupin