Port of Baltimore receives new cranes amid record volumes

The mid-Atlantic port handled a record 596,972 containers during 2017, an 11 percent increase over its previous high-water mark of 538,567 containers set the year before.    The Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore received six new rubber-tired gantry (RTG) yard cranes earlier this week to be deployed at Ports America Chesapeake’s Seagirt container terminal, the port said in a statement.
   The new RTG cranes, which are used to lift and place containers onto trucks once they have been offloaded from the ocean vessel, join the 16 cranes already in service at the port. The total cost for the six RTG cranes was $12 million.
   Recently named the fourth fastest-growing seaport in North America, Port of Baltimore noted the cranes are arriving at a pivotal time for the port’s cargo operations.
   Last year, the mid-Atlantic port handled a record 596,972 containers, an 11 percent increase over its previous high-water mark of 538,567 containers set in 2016.
   The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) in 2017 purchased 70 acres of land adjacent to the Seagirt container terminal to handle additional container business, as well as other potential cargo-handling opportunities.
   “The Port of Baltimore has seen remarkable growth for its container business over the past 18 months,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement. “Last year, our administration made the first significant purchase of land to be used for Port of Baltimore cargo business since 1987. Working closely with our partner Ports America Chesapeake, our administration will continue to support the port and the thousands of hardworking Maryland men and women who rely on this crown jewel to support their families.”