Super Cranes Arrive in Port of Seattle

Late in the afternoon on Monday, Nov 28, three massive quayside cranes arrived at the Port of Seattle aboard the heavy-load-carrier Zhen Hua 9. Later this week, the cranes will be rolled onto Terminal 18. According to a news release issued by the Port of Seattle, these super post-Panamax cranes will allow port facilities to handle the largest container ships in the world.  Three additional super cranes are scheduled for delivery in mid-2012. The cranes are 185 feet high and capable of reaching 200 feet out over the water.

The Zhen Hua 9 is designed specifically to transport container cranes. Built in 1982 to a length of 225 meters, the ship is part of a fleet of 26 special-purpose, ocean-going delivery vehicles owned and operated by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd., which manufactures the super cranes. See http://www.zpmc.com/showroom/index.html.

KING-5 News has posted an excellent video summary of the impact the new cranes will have on the port's ability to handle the new class of super post-Panamax container ships expected to arrive in Seattle within the next couple of years. According to Wikipedia, the super post-Panamax ships are 22-24 containers in width, compared with 12-13 containers for Panamax ships and 18 containers for post-Panamax vessels.