Port of Wilmington to get new cranes to work larger Panama vessels

Time:2017-01-20 Browse:120 Author:RISINGSUN
NORTH Carolina Ports has ordered two new ship-to-shore cranes from designer Shanghai Zhenjua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (ZPMC) worth US$27.4 million for the Port of Wilmington.

The new cranes are expected to arrive in early 2018 and will be able to work the larger ships that can transit the new locks at the Panama Canal. The port also has an option for two more cranes from ZPMC, the American Shipper reported.

The order means the Port of Wilmington will potentially feature a total of 10 container cranes that will operate along a 2,650-foot container berth complex.

"If we exercise the option for the other two, we will have eight cranes capable of handling post-Panamax vessels," port spokesman Cliff Pyron said. "We currently have four post-Panamax cranes right now at our Port of Wilmington. The new ones will be larger to accommodate even bigger vessels that will be transiting the expanded locks of the Panama Canal."

Currently, the Port of Wilmington can handle 10,000-TEU class vessels with its expanded turning basin, post-Panamax berth and post-Panamax cranes.