The South Carolina Ports Authority (SC Ports) has welcomed two more ship-to-ship (STS) cranes as part of its expansion of the Wando Welch Terminal.
In a statement, SC Ports said the cranes are part of a strategic investment plan to modernise operations and infrastructure to handle more cargo and bigger ships at the Port of Charleston.
The ZPMC-built new cranes have 155 feet of lift height above the wharf deck and 212 feet of boom outreach, enabling them to service containerships up to 24 containers wide.
They arrived on 24 February aboard the Zhen Hua 27 after a two-month journey from Shanghai. They will be assembled and commissioned for several months and begin working on ships in the summer, SC Ports said.
SC Ports President and CEO Jim Newsome, commented, “As a result of our significant investments in terminal infrastructure, we offer unmatched vessel and cargo fluidity at a time that it is sorely needed in major US ports.
“Taller cranes with wider reach greatly increase our big-ship capabilities,” Newsome said.
“These impressive cranes from ZPMC ensure SC Ports will remain globally competitive as we work the largest, cargo-laden ships already calling the Port of Charleston and U.S. East Coast.”
SC Ports’ infrastructure investments and the ongoing Charleston Harbor Deepening Project will enable Wando Welch Terminal to handle three 14,000-TEU ships simultaneously this year, according to the company.
“Our infrastructure investments enable SC Ports to efficiently work mega container ships, ensuring the swift movement of goods to market,” Newsome said.
“We remain on track to achieve 52 feet of depth in Charleston Harbor and continually invest in our infrastructure, which will give SC Ports the ability to work 19,000-TEU vessels — a capability few U.S. ports have today.”
