The first of 60 new Konecranes rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMGs) have arrived at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) as the Port of Virginia begins its $375 million expansion project.
NIT will put the cranes into service by the end of September, when the first three of its 30 new container stacks will be ready to use.
Once all 60 RMGs are operational, Port of Virginia expects NITs annual capacity to increase by 400,000 TEU by mid-2020. In November 2016, the port finalized a $217 million contract with Konecranes to build and deliver 86 RMGs – the largest one-time RMG order ever.
See how Konecranes are adapting to a changing industry by reading a Port Technology technical paper
John F.Reinhart, CEO of the Virginia Port Authority, commented: “This is the stage when things begin to come to life at NIT.
“Our goal is to put this equipment to work as quickly and as safely as we can, just like we are doing at VIG. As these stacks go online, we will begin capitalizing on the new capacity and efficiency we’re creating.
“The end result of our effort will be new high-performing network of terminals that will attract economic investment in Virginia and spur job creation across the Commonwealth.”