The four 30-story high electric cranes are the largest ever constructed by Konecranes, and currently stand taller than any other marine cranes in North America. The cranes were ordered by the Port of Houston Authority amid ongoing infrastructure expansion to prepare in part for the larger Post-Panamax container vessels that will call at the Port Authority’s facilities.
“These cranes can move a loaded container twice as fast as their predecessors,” Port Authority Executive Director Roger Guenther said. “They will bring our Barbours Cut terminal capacity from 1.25 million TEUs to 2.5 million TEUs.”
With a 65-long ton capacity and the ability to handle two 20-foot containers simultaneously, the cranes’ capacity increases to 80 long tons with use of a cargo hook. The first operational crane began discharge maneuvers early this morning with a 4,250 TEU capacity container ship. The cranes were ordered as part of a $1 billion, five-year modernisation plan that also includes dredging and land-side infrastructure and wharf