First of Three New Liebherr Ship-to-Shore Cranes Fully Assembled at JAXPORT

The first of three new 50-gauge Liebherr ship-to-shore container cranes at the Jacksonville Port Authority’s (JAXPORT) Blount Island Marine Terminal is now fully assembled and entering final testing. A new time-lapse video, courtesy of Taylor Engineering, Inc., released by the port shows the crane’s move from the assembly yard to the berth, including boom-up and boom-down checks that are required before the equipment can enter service.

The crane is one of two that arrived at Blount Island in June 2025 in multiple large components before being assembled on site. Built by Germany-based Liebherr Crane Company, both cranes are expected to be operational by the end of 2025. A third 50-gauge crane is currently being manufactured at Liebherr’s facility in Ireland and is scheduled to arrive in December 2025. That unit will be deployed at JAXPORT’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal in early 2026.

The cranes are designed to handle wider vessels and can reach up to 19 containers across a ship’s deck. Each has a lift capacity of up to 65 long tons and features a regenerative power system that consumes energy during lifts and generates electricity when lowering containers, improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions.

The acquisition of the three cranes is supported by $53 million in state funding allocated to JAXPORT over the past two years for crane purchases and upgrades.

“We are grateful to Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Legislature and the Florida Department of Transportation for their longstanding support of Florida’s largest container port,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green. “The state’s continued investment in world-class transportation infrastructure allows more cargo to move through Jacksonville, supporting jobs and economic growth for our region and the state.”

JAXPORT plans more than $40 million in additional crane upgrades over the next five years.