Jaxport deploys new ship-to-shore container cranes at Blount Island terminal

Two new 50-gauge ship-to-shore container cranes moved their first containers recently after entering service at the Jacksonville Port Authority’s (Jaxport) Blount Island Marine Terminal in Florida, port officials announced today.

With a lift height of 115 feet, the new cranes are some of the largest 50-gauge cranes available on the market. They are designed to serve wider vessels and can reach up to 19 containers across a ship’s deck. Additional features include the ability to move an average of 33 containers per hour and a lift capacity of up to 65 long tons, with heavy-lift capability of up to 75 long tons for oversized, noncontainerized cargo.

The cranes also feature regenerative power systems, which consume energy during container lifts and capture electricity when lowering them.

A third new 50-gauge crane arrived at Jaxport early last month and is being commissioned at the port’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal, where it will be operational in mid-2026. This crane features a 100-foot lift height and can reach across 17 containers wide.

The three cranes were purchased as part of a multiyear, $93 million initiative to modernize Jaxport’s crane fleet, including $53 million in state funding over the past two years for crane purchases and upgrades.

Jacksonville offers 40 daily trains via two Class Is — CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway — as well as regional line Florida East Coast Railway and on-dock and near-dock rail providers.