South Florida Container Terminal (SFCT) at PortMiami has ordered 12 electric, emission-free, rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes to prepare for cargo growth and larger vessels — and to help meet decarbonization goals.
The RTG cranes are being purchased from Kalmar, which is part of Finland-headquartered Cargotec. SFCT did not provide the cost of the cranes but did say delivery is expected in the second quarter of 2023.
SFCT said the order comes on the heels of a three-year modernization project that transformed the facility into a more sustainable operation with electric RTG cranes and added cargo storage space, using a densification model that allows 33% more usability in the container yard than before. This will increase capacity to approximately 300,000 lifts per year, according to a news release from APM Terminals. SFCT, founded in 2008, is a joint venture between APM Terminals and Terminal Link.
SFCT is already seeing new business. CMA CGM’s Medgulf service began at the end of September. Six vessels operate the weekly service, which makes its first U.S. call at PortMiami. The port rotation is Tanger, Morocco; Genoa, Italy; Valencia, Spain; Miami; Veracruz and Altamira, Mexico; Houston; and Tanger.
“Miami’s business center strength and Florida’s growing consumer market are creating excellent business opportunities for supply chain planners,” Hugh Healey, head of SFCT, said in the news release. “We’re excited to welcome the new CMA CGM Medgulf service and also announce the next phase of our terminal improvement plan.”
SFCT said its modernization project aligns with the master plan of PortMiami, which is financing $38 million in port infrastructure improvements and applying for federal funds to achieve port decarbonization goals by electrifying yard-handling equipment and yard trucks.
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