Cargo Handling: Virginia

Four Giant Container Cranes Ordered for Virginia International Gateway

The Port of Virginia® on August 22 signed a contract allowing for the purchase of four new super-post Panamax ship-to-shore container cranes as part of a major expansion of Virginia International Gateway (VIG).

The $44.8 million spending package, which was approved in July by the Virginia Port Authority board of directors, covers the cost of the cranes, parts, their delivery to Virginia from China and installation at VIG.

Each crane will be able to span 26 container rows.

Technical specifications:

Port authority engineers will visit the manufacturer’s facility to ensure the cranes are built to the port’s specifications. The contract also includes the purchase of several specialized cargo handling components for the cranes and an option on two additional ship-to-shore cranes for use at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT).

Slated for delivery in April 2019, the new units will boost Virginia’s inventory to a total of 30 ship-to-shore cranes – 12 at VIG, 14 at NIT and 6 at Portsmouth Marine Terminal.

"Acquiring these cranes is another important step in the larger expansion efforts underway at VIG," said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the VPA. "The big ships calling the port are only getting bigger, and we are charting our course for the future to ensure we will be able to accommodate the larger capacities still to come."

The $320 million project will expand VIG’s berth, rail operation and stack yard, boosting throughput capacity to 1.2 million units annually. That, plus the NIT expansion, will increase the port’s overall capacity by 40 percent, or 1 million container units, by 2020.