Final 6 hybrid cranes arrive at SC Ports ahead of Leatherman Terminal’s opening in March

Six new hybrid rubber tyred gantry cranes (RTG) have arrived at the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, South Carolina Ports, marking the final delivery of large cargo-handling equipment ahead of the terminal opening in March.

The cranes will make up a fleet of a total of 25 hybrid RTG cranes and five ship-to-shore cranes, capable of handling 19,000 TEU vessels.

The latest cranes follow the arrival of  15 hybrid rubber-tired gantry cranes intended for the terminal back in December.

The cranes were fabricated by ZPMC and then shipped across the Pacific Ocean.

The RTGs run 100% on electric battery power, meaning diesel-only runs when the batteries need to be recharged, which effectively reduces idling time.

The batteries, supplied by Corvus Energy, are expected to reduce fuel consumption by around 70% when compared to conventional diesel port cranes.

The Leatherman Terminal’s Phase One will add 700,000 TEUs of annual throughput capacity to the Port of Charleston when it opens in March.

It will have a 1,400-foot wharf, five ship-to-shore cranes, a 47-acre container yard, and 25 hybrid rubber-tired gantry cranes.

At full build-out, the three-berth terminal will double SC Ports’ current capacity by adding 2.4 million TEUs of throughput capacity.