The Port of Savannah is the fastest growing container port in the US and the second largest port on the US East Coast. Exports are driving economic recovery at the port, which boasts a uniquely balanced export/import ratio. It handled 12% of all US containerised exports in 2010, a total of 1.14 million TEU.
“We consider Konecranes a valued partner in our ongoing effort to build capacity and serve a growing sector of the US market,” said Curtis Foltz, Executive Director, GPA. “This new order will not only allow the Port of Savannah add to the largest and most efficient fleet of STS and RTG cranes in the Southeast US, but it will provide additional emission reductions and environmental improvements for our local community.”
“Our cooperation with GPA goes back a long way and we are very proud to be a part of GPA’s forward-thinking growth strategy,” says Tuomas Saastamoinen, Sales and Marketing Director at Konecranes. “With their present fleet of 96 Konecranes RTGs and 18 Konecranes STS cranes, GPA is one of our largest and most important customers.”
The Super Post Panamax STS cranes on order have a lifting capacity of 66 tonnes and an outreach of 61m. Their design is identical to that of the Konecranes STS cranes delivered to GPA a few years ago, which have turned out to be among the most productive cranes in the US. The fuel-saving RTG cranes on order have been designed to take future environmental requirements into account. Thanks to a Konecranes fuel-saving system which eliminates idling and also reduces noise and emissions, these RTGs consume up to 30% less fuel than conventional RTGs. The 16-wheel RTGs have a lifting capacity of 50 tonnes and can stack 1-over-5 containers high, and 6 plus truck lane wide.