Port Freeport welcomes two new post-Panamax cranes

Two state-of-the-art Super Post-Panamax Gantry Cranes were delivered aboard a heavy-lift vessel, arriving at Port Freeport’s Velasco Container Terminal. (Photo Credit: Port Freeport)

Port Freeport (Texas) marked a historic milestone recently with the delivery of two state-of-the-art Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore gantry cranes. The port says that their arrival, coinciding with the port’s 100th anniversary, underscores its commitment to growth, innovation, and service to the region.

Transported fully erected aboard a heavy-lift vessel, the cranes were carefully offloaded and secured to the docks. Following installation and testing this fall, the new equipment will be placed in service, dramatically expanding the Port’s capacity to service some of the world’s largest container
vessels efficiently. The cranes were designed by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company in China.

“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 over 1,600 tons each, the cranes feature the
ability to reach across 22 containers wide with a lift above the dock of 178.8 feet. Outfitted with
advanced technology, they are designed to handle cargo with greater safety and efficiency,
representing one of the most significant equipment upgrades in Port Freeport’s history.

“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.”

Port Freeport exports crude oil and natural gas liquids and ranks nationally as 6th in chemicals, 14th in total foreign waterborne tonnage, and 26th in containers. A 2022 Economic Impact Study by Texas A&M Transportation Institute revealed that, nationally, the Freeport Harbor Channel generates 266,300 jobs and has a total economic output of $157.3 billion.