Georgia Ports Authority orders 28 Konecranes container cranes as larger ship traffic grows

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has ordered 20 eco-efficient Konecranes Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes and 8 Konecranes Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes for the Port of Savannah in the US. Six of the STS cranes will be the largest ever made by Konecranes. The RTG order was booked in Q1, and the STS order was booked in Q4 2020.

The GPA placed the order as it prepares to serve the world’s largest container vessels such as the HMM Algeciras class and Maersk’s Triple-E class, which have capacities of 24,000 TEU or more. The STS cranes will be delivered in two batches, the first in June 2023 and the second in October 2023. The diesel-electric RTG cranes will be delivered in four batches of five cranes in 2021-2022.

Griff Lynch, Executive Director of the GPA, said: “The GPA is always preparing for the next evolution of global trade. The new high-performance and long-lasting STS cranes on order are part of the Big Ship/Big Berth program. Six of the new cranes will be very large, enabling us to serve the New-Panamax container ships, which will reach us thanks to the dredging of the final portion of Savannah’s shipping channel, which will be done by late 2021.”

Mika Mahlberg, Executive Vice-President, Konecranes Port Solutions, said: “Konecranes has been working with the GPA since the early 1990s.  We have always worked closely with them to improve efficiency and stay ahead of industry trends. Today’s announcement marks the latest step in that relationship. Six of the new STS cranes will be the largest that Konecranes will have ever made, and the new RTGs will help the GPA reach their growth and performance targets.”

When the new Konecranes STS cranes enter service, Konecranes will have delivered 45 STS cranes to the GPA, Port of Savannah, since 1990. The GPA also operates a large fleet of Konecranes RTG cranes; when the latest 20 RTGs are delivered and in service the GPA will operate a fleet of 201 Konecranes RTGs.

The STS cranes will have a very high trolley speed of 250 m/min and hoisting speeds of 90/180 m/min. Their lifting capacity will be 66t in twin-lift, 86.4t with a cargo beam. They will have a designed structural life of over 40 years, thanks to a special rigid gantry frame that will also give operator comfort and a very high container move-per-hour rate.

The 20 Konecranes RTGs on order are diesel-electric machines with cable reel readiness for electric operation. They are high-performance, 16-wheel RTGs with a lifting capacity of 50 tons, a stacking height of 1-over-6, and a stacking width of 6 plus truck lane wide. They will be equipped with Konecranes’ Active Load Control system, which prevents container sway. The Auto-steering feature is included, which keeps the cranes on a pre-programmed, straight driving path. Furthermore, they will have Konecranes’ TRUCONNECT® remote monitoring system.

A strong focus on customers and a commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a lifting industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.