Konecranes has received an order for nine RTGs from Port Houston, Texas, US, as part of its $700 million modernization project taking place at the port’s container terminals.
The purchase of nine new RTGs will be delivered to Port Houston Bayport Container Terminal in early fall 2018 to support the peak demand brought to Port Houston by the next generation container vessels.
In addition to new cranes, other improvements are expected to increase terminal capacity from 1.2 million to 2 million TEUs, adding to the 14 ship-to-shore wharf cranes and 44 rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) currently operating there.
The RTGs on order will have a lifting capacity of 50 tons while stacking one-over-five containers high and six plus truck lane wide.
They will be equipped with Konecranes’ Active Load Control, which eliminates container sway to increase container handling performance.
The cranes will also be equipped with safety and environmental features like gantry anti-collision system, environmentally friendly LED lights and diesel generators with latest EPA requirements.
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Port Houston is an economic engine that produces jobs and economic prosperity for the local and state economy.
It is the largest port on the Gulf Coast, the biggest port in Texas and the only port in Houston.
Jussi Suhonen, Sales Director, Port Solutions, region Americas, Konecranes, said: “We have experienced a great partnership with Port Houston for a period of over 15 years.
“This important order is a great demonstration of the partnership and values that we share.”
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It is anticipated that the US Gulf region will see steady growth in coming years due to increased production and export of plastic resins, which should follow several plant expansions along the Houston Ship Channel coming on line.
Last month, Port Houston announced that Barbours Cut established a new record for container lifts from one vessel with 4,198 moves completed while working the 5,000 TEU Cosco Boston.
This month (July 2017) saw container volumes at the port increase by 14% compared to the same period last year.
More than 1.7 million tons of steel crossed Port Houston wharves, reflecting a year-to-date increase of nearly 50%.
Roger Guenther, Port Houston Executive Director, said: “Port Houston has already handled nearly 20 million tons of cargo this year, reflecting an increase of 13 percent from the same period last year.”