APM Terminals, in close dialogue with the bi-state shipping community, including the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, shipping companies, importers and exporters, intermodal rail providers, trucking companies and the International Longshoreman’s Association, has significantly increased its previously announced USD $70 million investment plans for the APM Terminals Port Elizabeth facility, and now plans an investment total of USD $200 million. This figure includes ordering four next-generation Ship-To-Shore (STS) cranes to handle ultra-large container ships (ULCS) at North America’s second-busiest port complex. These vessels are expected to start calling the port right after the heightening of the Bayonne Bridge is completed later this year. The heightening of the Bayonne Bridge, combined with the widened Panama Canal allows these ULCS liner services to call and be operated efficiently at the advanced APM Terminals facility.
Further investments include an expanded gate complex designed to improve the trucker experience through a safer and faster cargo flow, upgrades to container handling equipment to make them safer, more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly – and other operational improvements pursued in anticipation of future, regular ULCS vessel calls. APM Terminals is being very selective and disciplined about the projects for which to invest; these projects complement already committed investments being made at the berth to ensure the most value is harnessed from this strategic location over the long term.
“We are connecting people, lifting global trade and addressing liner trends to make the port even better for the future. Our goal is to make APM Terminals Port Elizabeth safer, easier to use and faster for our trucker community, more productive for our shipping line clients and more reliable for our clients’ supply chains expectations. These operational and infrastructure improvements are designed to keep APM Terminals Port Elizabeth at the forefront of the New York/New Jersey harbor by being the container terminal of choice to work with by our many clients and partners. These terminal enhancements would not be possible without the essential work the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has done to deepen the harbor and heighten the Bayonne Bridge to ensure future success and growth of the port,” stated the President of APM Terminals North America, Wim Lagaay.
The Bayonne Bridge, linking New Jersey with Staten Island, and originally completed in 1932, will be raised to a height of 215 feet (65.5 meters) from its original 151 foot (46 meter) vessel passage clearance when the project is completed later this year, allowing the latest generation of container vessels to enter Newark Bay without air draft issues.
APM Terminals’ Port Elizabeth facility is one of the largest container terminals in the port complex, handling over 2,100 trucks a day, 4000 terminal gate transactions and more than 500 vessel calls per year. The current capacity of 1.5 million TEU will be expanded to 2.3 million TEU, with berth expansion to accommodate three simultaneous ULCS vessel calls. The expansion and upgrades will be performed with no disruptions in service at the terminal through a dedicated onsite APM Terminals project team.
The Port of New York and New Jersey is the largest port complex on the US East Coast, with 6.25 million TEUs handled in 2016.
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