GPA’s newest giant gantry cranes up and running

   The Georgia Ports Authority said its four super post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes that arrived in June are now fully operational at the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal.
   “Our new cranes, coupled with the pending harbor deepening and superior road and rail connections beyond our gates, mean the Port of Savannah is poised to take advantage of the next evolution in global commerce,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz in a statement Wednesday.
   The first of the new cranes went into service in August, with additional cranes coming online every few weeks. Each new crane can lift up to 65 tons.
   When the deeper Panama Canal opens in 2015, the average vessel calling on the U.S. East Coast is expected to shift from a capacity of 4,500 TEUs to about 9,000 TEUs, the port authority said. The larger vessels will offer 20-percent to 40-percent savings on shipping costs.
   “The four additional ship-to-shore cranes increase our fleet to 27, including nine post-Panamax and 16 super post-Panamax cranes,” added Chief Operating Officer Griff Lynch. “Operating over 9,700 feet of contiguous berth space, the new equipment will mean even faster turn times for the vessels calling on Savannah, generating both time and cost savings for port customers.”