SeaPort Manatee gets two new cranes

To help with the increasing amount of cargo SeaPort Manatee has been handling, the port recently received two new eco-efficient cranes. Made by European company Konecranes, the equipment arrived Dec. 2 following a transatlantic voyage from Antwerp, Belgium, according to a statement from port officials.

The two cranes will go into service in January. Each can lift as many as 125 metric tons, and together they can provide a tandem lift capability of more than 200 metric tons, port officials say.

SeaPort Manatee handled a record 11.8 million tons of cargo in fiscal year 2024, which concluded at the end of September. Cargo was up 7.2% from the previous fiscal year.

“With cargo flowing through SeaPort Manatee at a record pace, this added lift capability could not be arriving at a more opportune time,” SeaPort Manatee Executive Director Carlos Buqueras says in a statement, "further enhancing our ability to adeptly meet needs of consumers and industry alike."

The Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 mobile harbor cranes incorporate technology such as electric drive capabilities that authorities say will support energy efficiency, ease of maintenance, performance and safety.