Just a day prior to the South Carolina Ports Authority’s celebration of the beginning of Charleston Harbor Deepening Project construction, two new ship-to-shore cranes arrived at the Wando Welch Terminal to further enhance the handling of neo-Panamax vessels.
“It is fitting to welcome the arrival of two new cranes as we begin construction on the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project ,” said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO.
“The cranes are an integral part of the port’s plans to modernize existing terminals in order to more efficiently handle big ships. Along with the Wando Terminal wharf strengthening project, bigger cranes enable the port to continue to meet the needs of our customers and deliver the operational reliability and productivity we are known for in the U.S. port industry.”
Produced by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (ZPMC) in China, the new cranes can lift containers 155 feet above the dock. The Wando Welch Terminal received its first two neo-Panamax cranes in August 2016, and an additional crane is on order for delivery in August 2019.
SCPA currently handles 20 of 27 weekly calls of vessels too large to transit the Panama Canal prior to its expansion. Beginning in April, two weekly services will consist of vessels 13,000 TEU or more.
Upon completion of harbor deepening project in 2020, Charleston will offer wide channels with depth of 52 feet in the Inner Harbor and 54 feet in the Entrance Channel.
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