Port Freeport, Texas, Welcomes New Gantry Cranes

Port Freeport in Texas received two Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore gantry cranes recently, coinciding with the port’s 100th anniversary.

The cranes arrived September 22, transported fully erected aboard a heavy-lift vessel. They will be installed and tested this fall.

“These cranes are a major investment in the future of Port Freeport and our community,” said Rob Giesecke, chairman of the Port Freeport Commission. “They will act as a catalyst for future growth, helping us attract new business, create more jobs and increase operating revenues to keep Port Freeport at zero-tax.”

Towering more than 300 feet high and weighing more than 1,600 tons each, the cranes feature the ability to reach across 22 containers with a lift above the dock of 178.8 feet. They are designed to handle cargo with greater safety and efficiency.

“The addition of the new Super Post-Panamax cranes at the expanded container terminal berths, combined with the substantial completion of the Freeport Harbor Channel Improvement Project by year’s end, is a defining moment for the port and a great way to start the port’s next century,” said Phyllis Saathoff, executive director/CEO of Port Freeport. “As we commemorate our centennial, this achievement underscores our unwavering commitment to developing world-class infrastructure that will benefit our region for many years to come.”

Featured image caption: A pair of new super post-panamax gantry cranes are delivered aboard a heavy-lift vessel to the Port Freeport, Texas, Velasco Container Terminal. (Photo courtesy of Port Freeport)