Port seeks grant to replace relic container cranes

The Port of Fernandina is seeking a state grant to fund the purchase of a new container crane because replacement parts for the existing cranes are no longer available.

Ocean Highway and Port Authority commissioners Wednesday approved the grant application along with grant requests for the rebuild of the U.S. Customs Service house and a new security gate.

The port is seeking a $3.5 million grant that would include a $3.5 million match from the port operator to fund the purchase of a 'gently used' crane to replace the aged container cranes.

"The crane model years are old. There's no parts available for them. There are no parts available. The cost of maintenance is high. In fact, you know, one of the only solutions may be cannibalizing one crane to provide parts for the other," said legislative consultant Davis Bean of The Fiorentino Group. "And so the operator has a thought that, hey, is it possible that instead of investing millions of dollars in a crane that may just put a band aid on it, are there other cranes that better suit the needs of the Porta Fernandina out there?"

Bean said there would be additional costs to the purchase that would include shipping. He explained the port operator is seeking a mobile crane to replace the existing container cranes which use a fixed railroad track system to move along the port docks.

Vice Chairman Ray Nelson said the rail system was also in need of repairs and that a mobile crane is not dependent on rails and would provide more space on the docks to move cargo.

"They would save a lot of room by doing away with the two container cranes and going with another local harbor crane. I mean, it is tight on that dock with four cranes on it,"

Nelson said. "It's very tight."

Bean said the port operator Relay Terminals is looking at cranes now available in Georgia and Canada.

"I think it's more of a general, change in thought of instead of rehabbing, which may just kick the can down the road. So, is there anything out there that's better for the Port of Fernandina and the business lines that you all have?" Bean told commissioners.

The grant application stated: Mobile harbor cranes can traverse the dock on a platform of rubber tires, eliminating the need of crane rails embedded in the dock face, which must be constantly maintained.

Modern mobile harbor cranes have a track record of safely moving bulk, breakbulk, and

containers around the world. This crane type is typically chosen for niche ports such at

Fernandina that handle a variety of cargo types since mobile harbor cranes can service all

cargo types with ease.