Port of Houston to Order Container Cranes

Port of Houston Commission to negotiate a contract for the purchase of 4 new electric cranes for Barbours Cut Container Terminal.

Demonstrating continued investment in infrastructure improvements to better serve customers, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority has selected Konecranes Finland Corporation to supply four dockside electric container cranes for Wharf No. 1 at Barbours Cut Container Terminal.

The Port Commission authorized negotiation of a contract with Konecranes for the equipment, which is part of a significant renovation under way at
Barbours Cut, the Port Authority's first container terminal.

Opened in 1977, the Barbours Cut Container Terminal has grown to be one of the premier container-handling facilities in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. A planned $700 million project to modernize this critical facility will include new cranes, lights and dock improvements to provide customers more efficient cargo handling with expanded capability to handle larger ships.

In his monthly report, Executive Director Len Waterworth said that total tonnage at Port Authority facilities for the month of March had increased 6
percent due in large part to containers, which increased by 97,000 tons while year-to-date total tonnage of 8.7 million tons is up slightly by 2 percent.

The improvement for the year comes largely from container tonnage, with an increase of 413,000 tons or 9 percent, offset by a decline in steel of
305,000 tons or 20 percent. March operating revenues were $18.3 million, down by 7 percent over last year, given expiration of a 2012 dredge placement agreement. Year-to-date March revenue of $57.5 million reflects a $3 million or 6 percent increase, again driven by containers.