Port Everglades to purchase three super post-Panamax gantry cranes

Three new cranes, with the option of purchasing an additional three cranes within five years, will be delivered to the South Florida seaport by 2019 as part of its $437.5 million expansion program.    Port Everglades will purchase three Super post-Panamax gantry cranes at a cost of 13.8 million each to meet increasing container demands.
   The South Florida seaport will also have the option to purchase an additional three cranes within five years of placing the original order as part of the port’s $437.5 million expansion program, with delivery for the first three slated for sometime in 2019.
   The three new cranes will be constructed by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., (ZPMC) and will meet federal height restrictions due to the seaport’s proximity to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The cranes will be capable of handling containers stacked eight units high and 22 units across, an improvement from the port’s existing seven gantry cranes, which are limited to containers stacked five units high and can reach out across 16 containers on a ship’s deck, according to the port.
   “Cargo ships are getting larger and several shipping lines already coming to Port Everglades from Europe and South America need Super Post-Panamax cranes now. The longer we wait, the higher the price, in addition to increasing our chances of losing important business,” said Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Steve Cernak. “We cannot afford to wait until our harbor deepening and widening project is completed because the cranes are needed now.”
   The port’s expansion program is the most expensive capital improvement agreement awarded to the port in its history, and aims to increase its annual container shipping capacity beyond the current 1 million TEUs.