Four new ship-to-shore cranes are slated to arrive at Garden City Terminal next month, Georgia Ports executive director Curtis Foltz said Monday.
“The cranes have already departed China and should be here late in the first week or early in the second week of June,” Foltz said after the GPA monthly board meeting.
“These are the newest generation cranes, taller and with a wider reach, something our customers have said they want,” he added.
The new state-of-the-art cranes were designed in Finland and built in China by Konecranes VLC. The largest of their kind, the new super post-Panamax STS cranes have a lifting capacity of 66 tons and an outreach of 200 feet.
The last ship-to-shore Konecranes arrived in February 2009 and were greeted by crowds along River Street who braved chilly temperatures to watch the giant structures clear the Talmadge Bridge with a mere 20 feet to spare.
With larger cranes — and warmer weather assured — the show should be equally dramatic.
The new cranes will bring the total number of electric-powered ship-to-shore cranes to 25 — the largest fleet at one facility in the country. Of the 25, nine are post-Panamax, and 16 are super post-Panamax.
Also at Monday’s board meeting, Foltz announced the Georgia Ports Authority moved 2.4 million tons of cargo in April, a 4.7 percent increase over the same month a year ago.
“Our total tonnage makes April the highest volume month on record,” he said. “And with companies like Haier appliances, Kent bicycles and Pep Boys recently choosing the Port of Savannah, our drawing power for cargo is only getting stronger.”
Bulk cargo led tonnage growth, more than doubling last April’s performance to reach nearly 254,000 tons.
Breakbulk cargo decreased nearly 30 percent, Foltz said, reflecting further slowing in global markets.
“There’s been an overall softening trend in industrial markets across the globe — from mining in Australia to farming in China,” he said. “This is a clear signal that international and domestic economies still face significant headwinds toward a robust recovery.”
On the container side, the GPA reported a 4 percent increase for April, moving 258,951 twenty-foot equivalent units — or TEUs — in April 2012.
Foltz also noted that April container volume was 11.3 percent higher than March, an indication that volumes lost to West Coast ports during the uncertainty of the dockworkers’ contract negotiations were coming back.
Exports remained dominant, representing 54 percent of loaded volume, he said.
“But we are starting to see the gap close.”
The ports moved nearly 58,000 auto and machinery units in April, the third highest month for roll-on/roll-off cargo. Year-to-date totals for fiscal 2013 put Savannah and Brunswick 14 percent ahead of the previous fiscal year.
Also at the meeting:
• The authority reported $25.3 million in revenue for April, a 3.5-percent increase over the same month last year. Revenue for the first 10 months of the fiscal year is $242.5 million, up $9.5 million year over year.
• Liquid bulk cargo was up 38.4 percent with significant increases in chemicals and vegetable oils.
• The Brunswick harbor remains under navigational restrictions due to inadequate federal operations and maintenance funding. The channel is authorized to a depth
“We are seeing strong performance because cargo owners know they can get their goods to market faster when they come through Georgia,” said GPA Board Chairman Robert Jepson. “Our streamlined service on-port, combined with better connections to the hinterlands by road and rail, make our deepwater ports the obvious choice for global trade.”
GPA BY THE NUMBERS
April 2013 April 2012 Change
Tonnage 2.4 million $2.3 million 4.7 percent
TEUs* 258,951 248,911 4 percent
Breakbulk 184,234 tons 261,501 tons 29.5 percent
Bulk 253,908 tons 120, 215 tons 111.2 percent