Alongside infrastructure improvement projects announced by the Port Authority New York / New Jersey, APM Terminals has announced to significantly increase its investment in Port Elizabeth.
The decision was made »in close dialogue with the bi-state shipping community, in[ds_preview]cluding the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, shipping companies, importers and exporters, intermodal rail providers, trucking companies and the International Longshoreman’s Association«, the subsidiary of Danish maritime giant A. P. Møller-Mærsk said in a statement. The previously announced USD $70 million investment plans for the APM Terminals Port Elizabeth facility will be enhanced. Now an investment total of USD $200 million is planned.
This figure includes ordering four next-generation Ship-To-Shore (STS) cranes to handle ultra-large container ships (ULCS) at North America’s second-busiest port complex. These vessels are expected to start calling the port right after the heightening of the Bayonne Bridge is completed later this year. The Port of New York and New Jersey is the largest port complex on the US East Coast, with 6.25 million TEUs handled in 2016.
Further investments include an expanded gate complex designed to improve the trucker experience through a safer and faster cargo flow, upgrades to container handling equipment to make them safer, more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly – and other operational improvements pursued in anticipation of future, regular ULCS vessel calls.
»These operational and infrastructure improvements are designed to keep APM Terminals Port Elizabeth at the forefront of the New York/New Jersey harbor by being the container terminal of choice to work with by our many clients and partners«, stated the President of APM Terminals North America, Wim Lagaay.
The Bayonne Bridge, linking New Jersey with Staten Island, and originally completed in 1932, will be raised to a height of 215 feet (65.5 meters) from its original 151 foot (46 meter) vessel passage clearance when the project is completed later this year, allowing the latest generation of container vessels to enter Newark Bay without air draft issues.
APM Terminals’ Port Elizabeth facility is one of the largest container terminals in the port complex, handling over 2,100 trucks a day, 4000 terminal gate transactions and more than 500 vessel calls per year. The current capacity of 1.5 million TEU will be expanded to 2.3 million TEU, with berth expansion to accommodate three simultaneous ULCS vessel calls. The expansion and upgrades will be performed with no disruptions in service at the terminal through a dedicated onsite APM Terminals project team.
