Page 30 - Wire Rope News & Sling Technology - August 2019

continued from page 28
1972. Slightly more than half the money
went to pay obligations to the city and
terminal; the remainder was dedicated
to purchasing a fourth container crane,
extending the container berth, and im-
proving support structures.
The Port of Virginia received four
new ship-to-shore (STS) cranes in early
2019 as the latest step in its $320 mil-
lion capacity expansion project was
completed in June. The ribbon-cutting
ceremony for the new cranes and proj-
ect took place on July 23, 2019.
Once operational, these 170-foot-tall
cranes will be the largest on the U.S.
East Coast and will be able to service
the ultra large container vessels (UL- John F. Reinhart speaks at the VIG ceremony.
CVs) calling at Virginia International percent, or 1 million container units, by During the 1980s, NIT attracted the
Gateway (VIG) for decades to come, the 2020, according to port officials. business of such firms as the Nissan
Norfolk, Va.-based port said. “These cranes are the biggest of the Motor Corporation and Evergreen. The
This delivery marks the completion big - the largest ZPMC has ever deliv- Virginia Ports Authority even dredged
of the port’s 2017 approval of a $44.8 ered to this country,” says Virginia Port deeper channels, added a fourth berth,
million dollar order from Shanghai, Authority (VPA) Board Chairman John built a 32,000-square-foot warehouse,
China-based Zhenhua Heavy Indus- G. Milliken, this, following the port’s purchased three high-speed gantry
tries Co. Ltd. (ZPMC). Under terms approval of the crane order. “What is cranes, and paved another container
of the contract, ZPMC provided the unique about these cranes is their out- storage area.
cranes, parts, delivery, and installa- reach; they will be able to reach across Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the
tion, including arrival aboard ZPMC’s a vessel that is 26 containers wide, VPA continued to expand the facilities,
Zhen Hua 27 ship in January, 2019. which is three-to-four containers wider replace old cranes, and add new ones,
The expansion comes just weeks after than most cranes. until it reached its present capacity.
the port said it had set a new record for “We anticipated needing this capac- On July 16, 2008, the three newest,
the amount of cargo volume handled in ity (of the cranes) for the ships that will and largest, cranes were delivered to
a single month, processing more than be coming to Virginia 10 years from the terminal.
270,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent now. When that day comes The Port of The 15th of November, 2016, saw the
units) in November. Virginia will be ready.” Board of Commissioners of the Virginia
The remainder of the expansion proj- Overall, the Virginia Port Authority Port Authority approving the deal to
ect includes upgrades to the facility’s (VPA) and its subsidiary Virginia In- Konecranes for 86 Automated Stacking
berth, rail operation, and stack yard ternational Terminals LLC (VIT) own Cranes (ASCs) in two contracts. The
and will bring its annual container and operate four general cargo facili- signing of those documents took place
throughput capacity to 1.2 million ties: Norfolk International Terminals, on the 17th of November.
units. Combined with another expan- Portsmouth Marine Terminal, Newport The award covers the provision of
sion, the work will increase the port’s News Marine Terminal and the Virgin- 86 ASCs in two contracts, the first
overall annual container capacity by 40 ia Inland Port in Warren County. for 60 ASCs for Norfolk International
Terminals and the second for 26 ASCs
for Virginia International Gateway.
Deliveries are scheduled in phases for
2018-2020. The value of the contracts
exceeds EUR 200 million, making this
the largest deal ever won by Kone-
cranes in the firm’s history.
The Virginia Port Authority, market-
ed as The Port of Virginia, is the fifth
largest port in the USA, and is one of
the largest economic engines for the
Commonwealth of Virginia. The port
has experienced record growth over the
past two years and is in the midst of
two large-scale infrastructure projects
at its largest container terminals.
“Once the construction is done and
these cranes are in place and operation-
al, our port will have the capacity to pro-
cess an additional 1 million containers
annually,” explains Virginia Governor
Konecranes cantilever rail mounted gantry (CRMG) cranes. continued on page 32

30 Wire Rope News & Sling Technology August 2019