Port of Alaska officials in Anchorage say they expect construction to be complete and initial operations underway by late fall on the new multi-million-dollar Petroleum and Cement Terminal (PCT). The project, contracted to Seattle firm Pacific Pile and Marine (PPM), is the first phase of the Port of Alaska Modernization Program. The project involves replacement of the Petroleum Oil Lubricants Terminal (POL 1), open since 1965, which is severely corroded and suffered significant structural damage during the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that occurred in the Anchorage area in November, 2018. Port officials said that once the new POL 1 terminal is…

On the East Asia–North America shipping circuit, three major route options are open for companies moving cargo to America’s busiest cities via the intermodal system of ship, road and rail. These options include sailing to the North American West Coast; sailing through the Suez Canal to the North American East Coast; or sailing to the East Coast via the Panama Canal. A variety of factors influence what choice a maritime company will make: the origin of the cargo and its destination; the type of cargo being shipped; and the state of labor relations in the major gateways are all common…

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed some aspects of the commercial maritime industry in 2020, particularly in the early months of the coronavirus’ emergence. But less than a year later, much of the industry returned to business as usual. In addition to that degree of normalcy, an unfortunate byproduct of maritime operations has also returned – spills of oil and other substances from commercial vessels. But since COVID hasn’t completely disappeared, responders to such spills have to take an even more measured approach to how they handle such situations. Pacific Maritime spoke with a number of spill response industry professionals about various…

By Karen Robes Meeks Seventy years ago, Jack Appelt used his refrigeration know-how to build a family business that could support the burgeoning demand for refrigeration services in cargo ships, the U.S. Navy and surrounding commercial markets in the Los Angeles Harbor area. Today, the business that Appelt built, Quality Refrigeration, celebrates seven decades as a go-to service company for marine and commercial HVACR systems for cargo ships, cruise lines, offshore oil platforms, industrial and commercial markets. It boasts one of the largest inventories of certified marine parts in stock on the West Coast. The business also remains a family…