FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – After almost two months out at sea and lots of planning, there was quite a sight to coming into Port Everglades all the way from China on Tuesday morning.
Three Super Post-Panamax container gantry cranes, the largest of their kind worldwide, arrived to take part in the largest expansion project in the port’s history. Construction for the $471 million project is expected to be done by late 2022. The value of economic activity related to Port Everglades is nearly $32 billion.
“Finally, the world’s largest ship-to-shore gantry cranes low profile arrive at Port Everglades,” said Jonathan Daniels, the chief executive port director. “For us, this is an absolutely incredible event.”
Manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., the 175-foot-high cranes, valued at $13.8 million each, will allow crews to pick up containers stacked eight high from a ship’s deck and reach 22 containers across the ship’s deck.
The low profile helps, considering the port is close to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, meaning tall cranes could interfere with flight routes.
Now Port Everglades is equipped to handle some of the largest container ships in the world.
“Ultimately this is the next generation,” Daniels said.
After some stress and minor delays from recent storms, it was an exciting morning for port leaders who have been tracking the ship carrying the cranes for weeks.
“You’re almost like an expectant parent. You’ve been watching it you know the date is coming,” Daniels said. “Fortunately, after a long, long voyage of more than two months, they arrived here. This is just a start of it, though.”