Crane manufacturer Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC) has delivered three over-dimensional electric cranes from Shanghai to the Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport).
The 100-gauge container cranes were delivered onboard the specialty vessel Zhen Hua 14 and will be offloaded at the newly reconstructed Berth 35 of the Blount Island Marine Terminal.
“The addition of these cranes is a critical step toward supporting the ever-larger ships calling on the port through the Suez Canal as well as the newly expanded Panama Canal,” said Jaxport CEO Brian Taylor.
The delivery was part of a US$37.6 million contract with ZPMC to manufacture, deliver and install the cranes. The upgrade work has been supported by a US$15 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, and Chicago Bridge and Iron subsidiary Shaw GVB provided engineering services.
- Each of the three, new 100-gauge cranes can lift up to 65-tons and reach across 22 containers stored on a ship’s deck.
- Once fully installed on the dock, the new cranes will stand 220 feet tall.
- 100-gauge cranes have 100 feet of distance between the legs and the rails on which the cranes maneuver.
- The new cranes are operated by electricity, rather than diesel fuel.
- The cranes will be operational later this year.
- Berth 35 at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal underwent a multifaceted rehabilitation project, including construction of a high-voltage electrical system, to accommodate the cranes.
- JAXPORT invested $37.6 million in the purchase and installation of the three cranes
- The Florida Department of Transportation assisted with a $15 million grant.
- Construction on the cranes began in April 2015 and concluded in June 2016.
- Cranes were transported aboard the Zhen Hua 14 from Shanghai, China.
- The cranes’ 17,000 mile journey from China to Jacksonville took approximately 2.5 months.
- Blount Island currently operates seven smaller container cranes. The new cranes significantly increase the terminal’s cargo handling capabilities.
- JAXPORT’s Dames Point Marine Terminal, home to the TraPac Container Terminal operates six 100-gauge container cranes (two 50-ton, four 40-ton).
- JAXPORT’s long-term strategic plan calls for the purchase of a total of ten new 100-gauge cranes.
- Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries, Co. Ltd. (ZPMC) built, delivered and will install the cranes.
- Shaw GVB, a subsidiary of Chicago Bridge and Infrastructure, provided engineering services before and during construction.
