By Karen Robes Meeks
Matson, Inc. welcomed three new 65 long-ton capacity gantry cranes at its Honolulu hub terminal at Sand Island earlier this week. These are the largest ship-to-shore container cranes to be deployed at a commercial harbor in the Aloha state.
The new cranes – which are anticipated to start service in the third quarter of 2019 – are part of a $60 million terminal expansion and modernization project that aligns with four new ships to be deployed between 2018 and 2020.
Each new Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding-built crane weighs about 1,290 tons, is taller and features better lifting capacity and reach than the current cranes, allowing Matson to process its new, bigger vessels.