The Port of Virginia® is purchasing 25 new hybrid shuttle carriers to support the ongoing capacity expansion project at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT).
The new shuttle carriers will play a key role in the conversion of NIT to a terminal that uses rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMGs) versus one that relied on straddle carriers. The conversion allows for higher container-stack density required for handling the larger container vessels calling Virginia.
The $23 million shuttle carrier order exercises a contract option with Kalmar, which part of the Cargotec Corp., for additional units that was agreed upon in 2017. Delivery of the new machines is scheduled for completion by the end of July 2020.
The Port of Virginia has been using Kalmar Hybrid Shuttle Carriers since Aug. 2015.
The capacity expansion project at NIT is progressing according to schedule. There are 18 new stacks served by 36 new RMGs already in service. Work on the next phase of stack-yard construction is underway with the next group of RMGs scheduled for delivery in January 2020. When the project is complete, the terminal’s annual container capacity will have been expanded by 400,000 units, or 46 percent.
The Virginia Port Authority (VPA) is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VPA owns and through its private operating subsidiary, Virginia International Terminals, LLC (VIT), operates four general cargo facilities Norfolk International Terminals, Portsmouth Marine Terminal, Newport News Marine Terminal and the Virginia Inland Port in Warren County. The VPA leases Virginia International Gateway and Richmond Marine Terminal. A recent economic impact study from The College of William and Mary shows that The Port of Virginia helps to create more than 530,000 jobs and generated $88.4 billion in total economic impact throughout the Commonwealth on an annual basis.