SCPA receives two ship-to-shore cranes for Wando Welch terminal

South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) has received two ship-to-shore cranes for Wando Welch terminal, completing its fleet of 15 new ship-to-shore cranes with 155 feet of lift height.

The cranes were produced by Shanghai-based manufacturer ZPMC and delivered aboard the Zhen Hua 35 to Charleston Harbor, SCPA informed.

The ship-to-shore cranes are said to offer 155 feet of lift height above the wharf deck and 212 feet of outreach, capable of extending over 24 boxes wide on a container ship.

They will be fully assembled over the coming months in preparation of working vessels at Wando Welch terminal early next year.

“Our new fleet of 15 … ship-to-shore cranes enables SC Ports to handle three 14,000-TEU container ships at one time at Wando Welch Terminal”, said Jim Newsome, CEO at SCPA. “Combined with the additional berth at the new Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, SC Ports can now seamlessly handle four 14,000-TEU container ships simultaneously”.

As informed, SCPA invested more than two billion dollars in port infrastructure in recent years, including around $500 million to modernize Wando Welch terminal.

Enhancements of the three-berth Wando Welch terminal include 15 ship-to-shore cranes and a stronger wharf, 65 rubber-tired gantry cranes, and a total of 2.4 million TEUs of annual throughput capacity to handle growing cargo volumes.

“We embarked on an ambitious program in 2015 to modernize Wando Welch terminal to handle neo-Panamax container ships. Our new ship-to-shore cranes are a crucial part of that effort. Our investments add 700,000 TEUs of capacity to Wando Welch terminal, a great benefit to our customers who need capacity and fluidity in the supply chain now more than ever”, Newsome added.