The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) has received three new low-profile Neo-Panamax ship-to-shore (STS) cranes to the Conley Container Terminal as part of its projects to deepen Boston Harbor and attract mega-ships.
Massport said the cranes will enable Boston to handle larger ships, providing New England importers and exporters greater access and connectivity to the global marketplace, facilitating future growth at Conley Terminal.
Two of the cranes are 205 ft tall with a lifting height of 160 ft and can reach 22 container rows wide and are the tallest low-profile cranes in the world.
The other crane is 145 ft tall, due to its proximity to the Logan Airport flight path, with a lifting height of 100 ft.
The new cranes will efficiently service larger container ships holding 12,000-14,000 TEU. Larger cranes are needed due to the shipping industry’s shift toward larger vessels that hold more containers.
The cranes were built by ZPMC, the largest manufacturer of container handling equipment in the world.
The cranes are expected to be operational in the fall after undergoing months of commissioning, which includes inspection, testing and staff training.
