Broward County Commissioners have approved a major project at the Port of Miami to provide civil and electrical infrastructure at the South Florida Container Terminal (SFCT) for 12 new ERTGs. SFCT is operated as a joint venture between TiL and APM Terminals.
Currently the terminal has 6 Kalmar ERTGs that were delivered in 2020, but is mostly a top pick operation using diesel machines. In June 2022 SFCT ordered 12 additional ERTGs from Konecranes for US$18m, with delivery scheduled for July 2023. The cranes, which are also equipped for remote operation, have been delivered and parked at the terminal.
There has been a delay in installing the civil works and electrical infrastructure to operate the cranes, which the Port of Miami is responsible for.
The port originally tendered the infrastructure work in June 2023. It received one bid of US$65.7m, which was 58% higher than the Engineer of Record’s estimate of $41m. The port reviewed the bid package with the bidder and determined that there were “adverse issues with the original project solicitation as well as recommended revisions” that were incorporated into a new tender.
This resulted in a lower base bid from OEC-Paradise joint venture of $51.4m. Broward County has now approved awarding a contract to OEC-Paradise with a total contract amount not to exceed $63.6m. This includes the base-bid amount, $5.1m for a contingency allowance, $0.5m for permits and $6.5m for equipment. Of the total $63.6m cost nearly $29m will be met though grant funding from The US Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) PIDP scheme and the Florida Department of Transportation.
The project completion date is now February 25, 2026.
The project highlights why some terminal operators are wearing about purchasing ERTGs, of which there are relatively few in the US compared to other countries. The cost to purchase and install the electrical equipment and infrastructure typically exceeds the cost of the cranes themselves. While the infrastructure cost is typically met by the port authority and not the terminal operator, port authority purchasing and procurement processes are long and sometimes unpredictable. Hybrid RTGs on the other hand, are a much simpler proposition.