The Port of Oakland has revealed its new and huge ship-to-shore crane (STS) which started operating this week at its Ben E. Nutter Terminal.
The terminal is run by Everport Terminal Services, Inc. which invested in the new crane to enhance its maritime infrastructure at the port.
“New container cranes help keep the Port of Oakland competitive and ready to handle cargo volumes,” said Bryan Brandes, Maritime Director at the Port of Oakland. “New operational infrastructure supports growing the maritime business and jobs in our region.”
Initially arriving in June 2021, the STS has a lift height from the dock of 170 feet, allowing the port more flexibility in the movement of containers on and off the biggest ships that call at North America.
The Port of Oakland has seen an increased import volume through the period of August 2021, reaching 97,850 TEU, an increase of 1.6% compared to the same period in 2020. Port officials say because of this, the timing of the new crane couldn’t be better, especially as cargo volumes are expected to continue to increase throughout the rest of the year with the Christmas holidays approaching.
The introduction of the new crane is just one of the infrastructure upgrades the port outlined it needed to implement in order to handle growing cargo volumes. In July 2021, the port announced several other improvements that were either ongoing or planned to help improve port efficiency. These included:
- Additional International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) workers being trained and joining the workforce at the Oakland Seaport to handle the cargo surge and future cargo growth
- Conducting a land-use study, transportation study, and an electrical infrastructure study (to support its seaport path to zero emissions)
- Facilitating a battery-electric truck demonstration project while building ten new electric charging stations to power the experimental trucks
- The introduction of a new 466,000 square-foot warehouse at the port which is now complete and ready for business
- A freight Intelligence Transportation System – a suite of 15 demonstration technology projects along or near roadways leading in and out of the port
- Strategic planning for the Port of Oakland Maritime Division to guide the division for its long-term, future growth.
