SSA Marine and Port of Gulfport Commission New Hybrid Mobile Harbor Crane

SSA Marine and the Mississippi State Port Authority in Gulfport have inaugurated a new hybrid mobile harbor crane at the port, accompanied by $1.6 million in state funding for crane electrification. The crane, with a lifting capacity of 124 metric tons, represents the second Liebherr LHM 550 operating at Gulfport. It operates on a hybrid drive system, and both the Port and SSA Marine are concurrently developing the necessary electrical infrastructure to enable electric operation.

SSA Marine's Gulfport operations manager, Greg Schruff, highlighted the expansion of bulk handling capacity and the commitment to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and SSA Marine's sustainability objectives. The $1.6 million grant, provided by the Mississippi Department of Transportation's Strategic Multi-Modal Investments Fund and partially matched by SSA Marine, will finance the electrical connection for the crane.

Port CEO and Executive Director, Jon Nass, emphasized the significance of public-private partnerships in achieving this project. The crane's primary function will be bulk cargo handling for The Chemours Company, which currently operates near a DeLisle, Mississippi manufacturing plant. Duane Wilson, Chemours' Site Engineering Manager, expressed appreciation for SSA Marine's continued investment and the enhanced efficiency the new crane will bring to Chemours' manufacturing process.

The hybrid crane and associated grant funding are part of SSA Marine and the Port's ongoing efforts to expand cargo handling capabilities and modernize terminal equipment. Representatives from SSA Marine, the Port of Gulfport, Chemours, and the International Longshoremen’s Association gathered at the terminal to celebrate the crane's installation.