Crowley Bolsters San Juan Terminal
Three new, ship-to-shore cranes that were constructed in Ireland were delivered to Crowley Puerto Rico Services’ Isla Grande Terminal in San Juan in Puerto Rico in March.
The cranes are a key element of the $130 million Crowley is investing in infrastructure improvements to its Isla Grande Terminal, and their arrival marks the first time new, specialized gantry cranes have been received for operation in the San Juan Harbor in five decades.
The new cranes were built by Liebherr Container Cranes. They each have a capacity of 65 long tons and measure approximately 65 meters (213 feet) tall, with an outreach of 40 meters (131 feet). They bring the best-possible container-handling technology – including operator-assist modes, laser profiling that targets containers for precision handling, memory settings and truck positioning system – to the Puerto Rico trade, all features that improve safety and maximize container loading and discharge efficiency.
Crowley is investing more than $550 million to transform its Puerto Rico shipping services. In addition to the cranes, the company launched El Coqui, the first of two new, LNG-powered, Commitment Class ships being built by VT Halter Marine under the construction management of by Crowley Marine Solutions, which includes naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary Jensen Maritime.
After several more months of topside work, El Coquí, named for a beloved frog native to the island, is expected to begin service during the second half of 2017, and its sister ship, Taíno, which is named for indigenous people of Puerto Rico, is due to commence service in the first half of 2018.
Other improvements include constructing a new 900-foot-long, 114-foot-wide concrete pier and all associated dredging needed to accommodate Crowley’s two new ships; expanding the terminal’s capacity for handling refrigerated containers; paving 15 acres to accommodate container stacking; adding containers to its fleet and container handling equipment; installing a new electrical substation to provide power for the new gantry cranes; constructing a new seven-lane terminal exit gate for increased efficiency; installing hardware required for a new, state-of-the-art terminal operating software system, and more.
Crowley has served the Puerto Rico market from Isla Grande Terminal in San Juan since 1954.