JAXPORT has finalized a $37.6 million contract to purchase three new 100-gauge cranes for Blount Island Marine Terminal. The Florida Department of Transportation awarded JAXPORT a $15 million grant toward the purchase. The new cranes, which will be in operation by 2016, will significantly increase the terminal’s cargo-handling capability. Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries, Co. Ltd. (ZPMC) has been contracted for the manufacturing, delivery and set-up of the cranes, with Shaw GVB, a subsidiary of Chicago Bridge and Infrastructure, providing engineering services before and during construction. As ships calling on JAXPORT through the Suez Canal increase in size, and with the expansion of the Panama Canal on the horizon, larger cranes are necessary to service these big ships. The new cranes will have a reach of 22 containers across a ship’s deck, up from the 16 container reach of Blount Island’s current 50-gauge cranes. The new cranes will be electric instead of diesel, reducing air emissions. Berth 35 at Blount Island is being upgraded to handle the new cranes. The final design for the berth enhancements will be completed this fall, with a 16-month construction period expected to start in January 2015. JAXPORT’s long-term strategic plan calls for the purchase of a total of ten 100-gauge cranes for Blount Island in the next 10 years.