SeaPort Manatee is furthering its ship-to-shore cargo-handling capabilities with addition of two new Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 mobile harbor cranes at the maritime trade hub for Southwest and Central Florida and beyond.

The latest pair of eco-efficient cranes arrived at the seaport Monday [Dec. 2], after a trans-Atlantic voyage from Antwerp, Belgium, on Spliethoff’s M/V Plantijngracht. The units are to enter service in January, bringing to a total of seven the number of Gottwald mobile harbor cranes in use at SeaPort Manatee.

“With cargo flowing through SeaPort Manatee at a record pace, this added lift capability could not be arriving at a more opportune time, further enhancing our ability to adeptly meet needs of consumers and industry alike,” said Carlos Buqueras, SeaPort Manatee’s executive director, who noted that an all-time-high of more than 11.8 million tons of cargo moved through the port in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30.

Each of the powerful new cranes is capable of lifting loads of as many as 125 metric tons, while the two units combine to offer a tandem lift capability of more than 200 metric tons. The cranes feature innovative technologies that support energy efficiency, high performance, utmost safety and ease of maintenance.

Located “Where Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of Mexico,”  SeaPort Manatee is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal, SeaPort Manatee offers 10 deep-draft berths, proficiently fulfilling diverse demands of container, liquid and dry bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers. The self-sustaining port generates nearly $7.3 billion in annual economic impacts while providing for more than 42,000 direct and indirect jobs – all without benefit of local property tax support.