The new ship-to-shorecranes were delivered to the Barbours Cut Container Terminal after a three-month journey from China, where they were manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. (ZPMC).
“Considerable improvements are being made by Port Houston as we strategically prepare for expected growth,” said Roger Guenther said, executive director, Port Houston.
“These cranes are a good example of how we continue to focus on our infrastructure.”
He added that increasingly larger container ships calling at the port require faster and larger cranes for the most efficient cargo handling.
The cranes, which will stand 270 feet high after they are installed, are expected to be operational during the first quarter of 2018. They are part of a US$700 million modernisation programme underway at Barbours Cut to increase cargo-handling efficiency and capacity.
While Port Houston already has been expanding in recent years, additional growth is expected in part because of the expansion of petrochemical facilities along the Houston Ship Channel.
Those expansions will result in an increase in plastic resins, which are a by-product of the petrochemical process, many of which will move as containerised exports through the port.
Additionally, retail imports are growing significantly. Port Houston container volume increased by 14% during the first half of 2017, driven mainly by record loaded import growth of 26%.
New ship-to-shore cranes for Port Houston’s Bayport Container Terminal are also currently under construction and are scheduled to be delivered early next year.