APM Terminals’ facility in Port Elizabeth, New Jersey has taken delivery of four giant ship-to-shore gantry cranes to help serve the ever-larger ships calling on the U.S. East Coast.
The cranes, which arrived this week aboard a heavy lift ship from China, reach 23 containers across the vessel beam and are part of the facility’s USD $200million infrastructure investment plan scheduled for completion this year.
“We are proud to offer our liner customers and landside customers this new service capability, increased productivity and deeper water depth,” said APM Terminals North America CEO Wim Lagaay.
“The completion of the dredging six months ahead of schedule was made possible by the dedication and proactivity of the Port Authority of NY & NJ working with Federal and State agencies, as well as other stakeholders to secure all the permits and contracts in record time. This will result in more berthing capacity for our liner customers at a time when cargo volumes continue to increase,” Lagaay said.
The ongoing modernization plan for APM Terminals Elizabeth facility at the Port of New York and New Jersey includes reinforcing berths which have been dredged to 50 feet (15.25 meters). Combined with the recent raising of the Bayonne Bridge, the busiest port on the U.S. East Coast will be capable of handling some of the largest ships on the water.
“The multi-billion dollar program to deepen our port channels to 50 feet, coupled with the raising of the Bayonne Bridge, has ensured that our port is ready to handle the biggest ships now calling on the East Coast,” said Port Authority Port Director Molly Campbell. “The arrival of these new cranes is further evidence that our terminal operators are confident on the port’s bright future and willing to invest in it.”
In 2017, the Port of NY & NJ handled a combined 6.7 million TEUs, with APM Terminals Elizabeth accounting for 1.43 million TEUs, or 21% of the port’s container volume.