In this photo provided by the Georgia Port Authority, a GPA electric rubber-tire gantry crane works off a new electric grid system at the Savannah Port Friday, December 14, 2012, in Savannah, Ga. The cranes can switch from shore-based power on the grid, to on-board diesel generators when moving between stacks. According to the GPA, the new technology reduces fuel consumption by an estimated 95 percent. (AP Photo/Georgia Port Authority, Stephen Morton)
The Georgia Ports Authority unveiled the new cranes Friday. Standing 80 feet tall and spanning six truck lanes, they look the same as their diesel-powered counterparts used to load and unload cargo containers from trucks. The big difference is the new cranes run on electricity delivered along a 500-foot rail. When the cranes have to move to a new loading area, they switch to diesel.
The cranes were built by Finnish company Konecranes (KOE-nuh-cranes), which says Savannah is the first North American port to use them.
Four are in use now. Port officials hope to buy more than 100 in the next decade.
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