NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY) -- A towering new arrival at the Port of Iberia is making waves—both literally and economically.

On Friday, port officials and industry leaders gathered to christen the Creole King, a state-of-the-art electric floating crane developed by E-Crane’s Gulf Coast team. The massive barge-based crane is designed to move cargo quickly, efficiently, and with minimal environmental impact.

“The grab on the crane is 47 cubic yards,” said Steve Osborne, CEO of E-Crane USA. “When you think in terms of grain, that’s over 1,000 bushels that can fit inside the grab they swing every single time.”

With a lift capacity of 52 tons and a reach of 125 feet, the Creole King is one of the largest electric material-handling cranes in North America. The crane is part of a broader strategy to modernize cargo transport while reducing fuel consumption.

“Because of the high energy efficiency of the E-Crane,” Osborne explained, “they’re able to achieve the lowest possible fuel consumption for loading tons from barge to ship. It’s about the amount of diesel fuel in a wineglass to move one ton of cargo.”

But the crane’s arrival not leads to more innovation, it will lead to more jobs.

“They started off by hiring 12 people right away,” said Craig Romero, Executive Director of the Port of Iberia. “They’re going to probably get up to around 50 when they’re building three or four machines at a time.”

To support the project, the Port of Iberia invested over $6 million in infrastructure improvements; an effort made possible through Louisiana’s Port Priority Program.

“This facility didn’t look like it does now,” Romero added. “We built new bulkheads, stabilized the yard, and refurbished the buildings—one even had to be air-conditioned. This is an example of what happens when you spend it right.”

The Creole King is expected to further position Iberia Parish as a key player in Gulf Coast logistics and offshore lifting. Local leaders said the crane’s christening is just the beginning.

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