Three Liebherr Ship to Shore (STS) container cranes - weighing 6,000 tonnes and the largest single objects ever to be engineered in Ireland - have arrived at Maher Terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey.

BRIDGE: The cranes on board a specialist vessel the 'Biglift Baffin' after passing under Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge last Saturday.

NeNEW YORK:The 'Biglift Baffin' ship carrying Liebherr cranes strikes a pose against the New York City skyline.

.

.

.

The Liebherr cranes, built in Fossa and assembled at Doyle Shipping Group's Cork dockyard near Cobh, were on board a specialist vessel, the 'Biglift Baffin' and arrived last Saturday (September 10) after passing under both the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and the Bayonne Bridge.

The partly assembled cranes were then shipped from Cobh to the USA where they arrived at Sandy Hook anchor point on September 5.

The vessel dropped anchor while preparing for crossing under both the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and the Bayonne Bridge.

In order to safely pass under the bridges, tidal conditions had to be optimum. The low tide at 3pm on September 10 gave sufficient clearance for the vessel and partly assembled cranes to pass.

Liebherr engineers boarded the vessel and the booms on the cranes were lowered. Vessel ballast tanks were filled to lower the vessel position in the water, further reducing the height of the cranes above sea level.

The vessel raised anchor on Saturday and made good progress, passing under the taller Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, before making its way toward the Bayonne Bridge.

It approached the bridge at 3.12pm local time and under the expert supervision of the local harbour pilots, had cleared the bridge by 3.19pm.

It was a tight squeeze, with water levels slightly higher than forecast, but well within planned expectations, with the vessel and cranes safely navigating under the bridge with less than 60cm to spare.

The vessel then docked at Maher Terminals shortly after.

Unloading is taking place all this week and is expected to be completed this weekend.

The cranes will then be fully assembled and commissioned before entering service in the coming months.

MILESTONE

"The supply of these cranes marks an important milestone in the history of Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd in Killarney," Gerry Bunyan, MD Sales with Liebherr, told the Killarney Advertiser.

"We commenced the shipping of fully assembled cranes from Cobh several years ago and the cranes recently delivered to New Jersey are the largest to date and the first cranes to be transported partially assembled.
The cranes and this project is testament to all the employees working at the facility in Killarney and serves to illustrate the Engineering capability prevailing at the plant," he said.

"These Ship to Shore cranes, when fully commissioned, will take their place alongside eight previously delivered cranes to Maher Terminals and we expect will make a significant contribution to the efficient handling of container traffic in the North American and global market."