By Gordon Feller An important case study published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is focused on the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The research aimed to assess their community engagement on reducing emissions and setting a goal of zero-emissions for trucks and cargo equipment at the ports. It also examined what impact their activities could have with regard to encouraging other ports to follow suit. “The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have taken important steps to work with local stakeholders in the community to reduce diesel emissions. They should be applauded for those efforts,” Congresswoman…
The Port of Los Angeles in July announced that it has launched “Horizon,” a long-term cargo volume predictive feature that offers cargo owners, terminal operators, truckers and other supply chain stakeholders the capability to gauge movement of containers at the port up to six months in advance. Horizon is an added feature of the port’s “Control Tower” service, a cargo flow planning and prediction tool that launched earlier this year. “We’re proud to break ground with this new forecasting tool, which is the first of its kind,” said port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka. “The Horizon predictive technology is…
For two weeks beginning July 18, BNSF Railway limited the flow of international containers from the Los Angeles-Long Beach seaport complex to the railroad’s Logistics Park Chicago intermodal terminal in order to deal with a backlog of intermodal cargo traffic at the terminal. “The rate of containers tendered to us on the West Coast continues to exceed the rate of out-gates from Logistics Park Chicago,” railway spokeswoman Amy Casas is quoted as saying in a July 19 trains.com report. “We are confident in our ability to process and unload volume at the rate that we are seeing demand on the…
The Port of Oakland and its logistics partners have launched a battery electric truck demonstration project on its path to zero emissions at the Oakland Seaport. In mid-July, the port debuted 10 new battery electric trucks at Shippers Transport Express (STE), a port-based trucking operation. The Peterbilt trucks cost a total of $5.1 million and are used to haul cargo within the port’s maritime area. Funding for the trucks comes from a ZANZEFF grant (Zero and Near-Zero-Emission Freight Facility) program. The battery electric truck demonstration project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It expands options for another clean, cargo-handling…
London-based containership fleet operator Seaspan Corp. has entered into agreements with a major shipyard for six 15,000 TEU newbuilds, the company has revealed. “The modern high-quality containerships are anticipated to begin deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023, and upon completion will enter long-term charters with a global liner,” the company stated in a March announcement that did not name the liner or the shipyard that will build the vessels. The containerships are anticipated to be financed from existing liquidity and additional borrowings, the company has said. Seaspan has also stated that it will continue to enhance its fleet composition…
Oregon-based ocean-going vessel manufacturer Greenbrier Marine and transportation and logistics company Crowley Maritime have launched Qamun (pronounced Ka-moon), a 55,000 BBL shallow draft a double-hulled petroleum tank barge designed specifically for the Alaska fuels market. The ATB was built by Greenbrier Marine, while Crowley Engineering Services provided on-site construction management using an Alaska-specific design by Jensen Maritime, its naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary. The 350-foot barge will be paired with the tug Aurora being constructed by Alabama-based Master Boat Builders Inc. Delivery to Crowley is expected in April 2021. Representatives from Crowley and Greenbrier participated in a small, private…
Bremerton, Wash.-based shipbuilder SAFE Boats International says that it plans to reopen its Large Craft Production Facility at the Port of Tacoma following a $20 million lead contract with the U.S. Navy to begin construction of Mark VI patrol boats for the government of Ukraine. The U.S. Navy announced in January that it had awarded SAFE Boats a portion of the contract to purchase long-lead material and associated pre-production and planning support. An additional award of $80 million award is anticipated in June. Altogether, the contract is expected to result in 75 new jobs at SAFE’s Tacoma workforce at the…
The Pacific Northwest ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver, BC, along with the combined container operations of the Northwest Seaport Alliance, say they are jointly committing to a new vision to phase out emissions from seaport-related activities by 2050. In a collaboration among the four ports, the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy seeks to meet this target through changes in equipment, fuels, and infrastructure, supporting cleaner air for local communities and fulfilling the ports’ shared responsibility to help limit global temperature rise. “Through the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, ports have a blueprint to do their part by helping to…
San Diego-based ship repair provider Continental Maritime has been awarded a $32.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for a combination of maintenance, modernization and repair of the U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD-25). The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to more than $38.4 million. The USS Somerset, which was first launched in 2014, has a length of 684 feet, a total beam of 105 feet, a displacement of 25,000 tons and a capacity of 700 to 800 people. Work is set to be performed in San Diego starting later this year, and is expected…
Design, engineering, science and risk management consultancy BMT has been awarded a prime contract to conduct industry studies for the U.S. Navy’s T-ARC(X) cable ship replacement program. The contract consists of capability and cost trade studies in key areas, investigation of options to maximize affordability and producibility, and development of a concept design. BMT’s partners on this project include shipbuilder Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG), marine engineering company ABB Marine & Ports and acoustical engineering consulting firm Noise Control Engineering. The industry studies are a key step in the Navy’s recapitalization of its undersea cable installation and repair capability, as the…