PortMiami keeps goods moving from ship to shelf with new cargo handling equipment
Six new all electric rubber-tired gantry (E-RTGs) cranes at PortMiami's South Florida Container Terminal (SFCT) have been installed and are now in service, the company said in its release.
The new E-RTGs replace older, diesel-powered top-loaders which worked in the container yard. Upon arrival in early January – the new equipment went through a 30-day testing and certification process by the manufacturer.
The new equipment is safe and sustainable benefiting the port and surrounding community with zero emissions and significantly less noise. SFCT is currently undergoing cargo upgrades as part of PortMiami's Master Plan. The project reflects a successful public-private partnership with PortMiami financing the improvements to the cargo yard.
"These electric machines usher a safer, more efficient and more sustainable era at the port allowing us to densify our terminal to handle future cargo growth," said SFCT Terminal Director Mark Baker. "We thank Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez and PortMiami Director and CEO Juan M. Kuryla for their initiative and foresight on our port upgrade to ensure Miami's competitiveness in world markets. Our port has a -50'-52'ft depth and is the closest US port to the Panama Canal offering shippers excellent access to Florida's fast-growing consumer market and Latin America business hub."
The new cargo handling equipment is being operated by specially trained longshoremen from PortMiami's ILA Local 1922 and Local 1416. The experience and collaboration of the ILA's workforce plays a critical role in this new development.