MAERSK's APM Terminals has announced the commissioning of two ZPMC superpostpanamax quay cranes for its Port Elizabeth terminal at the Port of New York and New Jersey, reports Ventura, California's gCaptain.

Designed with a 23-container outreach, the new Shanghai cranes are capable of accommodating both neopanamax and ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) with capacities of up to 18,000 TEU.

Following successful testing, the cranes are now fully operational and ready to handle the largest ships calling on US east coast ports.

Port Elizabeth is APMT's big terminal on the US east coast of North America. "This reduces port stay time and improves the speed of our customer supply chains," said terminal manager Henrik Kristensen.

"The increased capacity we are bringing to the Port of New York and New Jersey aligns with the industry trend of deploying larger container vessels that are more efficient and represent a more sustainable approach to ocean shipping," he said.

The two cranes are the first of six that are part of a US$70 million investment to supplement APM Terminals Elizabeth's four existing superpostpanamax cranes capable of servicing ULCVs.

The addition of these, six superpostpanamax cranes will bring the total number STS cranes at the terminal to 14, including the 10 identical superpostpanamax cranes, along its 6,000-foot quay. The six new cranes are all expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2025.