Terminal Operations – Pacific Maritime Magazine

Bellingham Port Awarded Terminal Electrification Grant, Renews BCS Lease

The Port of Bellingham has secured a $2.8 million state grant to electrify operations at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal, the port announced Sept. 3. Bellingham was among 11 Washington seaports to obtain funding from the state’s $26.5 port electrification grant program. The project, which the port plans to complete by 2026, would allow vessels docked at the terminal to plug in with shore power. It also builds on a number of modernization projects already in progress, which include fortifying the main dock and deepening the navigation depth to attract a larger range of cargo vessels. The port previously netted a…

Port of Guam Appeals for Funds to Replace Aging Gantry Cranes

Port of Guam officials, citing national cybersecurity objectives, have appealed to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg for Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) funds to replace three aging ship-to-shore gantry cranes. “Our reliance on aging infrastructure, which could be compromised by adversaries, poses a national security risk,” Guam Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero said in a March letter to Buttigieg. “If the port’s procurement is constrained due to funding stipulations, we risk delaying other vital infrastructure projects essential for our strategic readiness and may be forced to consider purchasing STS gantry cranes from China,” the letter states. “We actively seek…

Port of Portland Reverses Decision to End Cargo Handling at Terminal 6

The Port of Portland, which in mid-April said that it was halting cargo handling services at Terminal 6 later this year due to a funding shortfall, has reversed its decision following an expected new cash infusion from the Oregon state Legislature. A proposal issued May 16 by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s includes $35 million for the port from her 2025-2027 proposed budget and $5 million in funding that’s expected to be requested at the September meeting of the state Legislature’s Emergency Board. Each expenditure would need lawmakers’ approval. “After the Port of Portland’s April announcement that container service would end…

Port of Bellingham Purchases Six-Acre Complex

The Port of Bellingham said in late February that it has purchased about six acres, including six buildings with about 71,000 square feet of office and industrial space, to support continued industrial growth. The port’s new industrial complex is on Marina Drive, less than a mile from port-owned land and buildings near Squalicum Harbor. The six industrial buildings and office space were built between 1925 and 2008. The property is close to Squalicum Harbor, Interstate 5 and is 2.4 miles from Bellingham International Airport. “There is strong demand for port-owned land and industrial space,” Port Commission President Michael Shepard stated.…

Port of Prince Rupert Export Logistics Project Moves Forward

The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) said in early March that its Ridley Island Export Logistics Project (RIELP) has reached a significant milestone: receipt of its final determination of the federal environmental effects evaluation review. “Federal authorities have determined … that the Ridley Island Export Logistics Project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects,” the port said in a March 2 statement. “This concludes the federal environmental review process, which is a prerequisite for the federal authorities to consider the required authorizations for the project to proceed.” The export logistics complex, which is planned for the southern end…

Port of LA Signs Collaborative Agreements with Japanese, Swedish Ports

The Port of Los Angeles in mid-March entered into separate Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with the Port of Tokyo and the Port of Yokohama to collaborate on sustainability and environmental issues. The agreements were signed by Port of LA officials during the weeklong 2023 California Japan Clean Energy Trade Mission summit. The MOUs with the two ports call for cooperation and sharing of best practices on environmental and sustainability initiatives, including the digitation of the supply chain to optimize efficiency and reduce port operational impacts. “The MOUs signed this week between the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Tokyo,…

Study: California Ports a Major Economic Generator for U.S.

A new study prepared by Washington, DC-based economic consulting firm BST Associates concludes that California has evolved into a distribution center for U.S. trade with Pacific Rim nations partly because of its geographic location, but also because such a large portion of the trade is consumed locally. Port directors from across California shared the study with state policymakers on Feb. 15 for Ports Day 2023, annual day of advocacy by the California Association of Port Authorities (CAPA). They were joined by dozens of state policymakers to highlight the impact California ports have on driving the economy forward. “Each year, California…

Auto Import Business Launches at Port of Portlan

A new auto import business launched at the Port of Portland’s Terminal 6 in early March. At its onset, longshore workers unloaded about 3,100 General Motors vehicles from the ro/ro vessel Dong-A Metis at Berth 601, the majority of which were routed to points in the inland U.S. via rail. Portland has said that it anticipates welcoming four ships each month, bringing about 160,000 GM vehicles through the port each year. “From the longshore workers unloading the ships to the folks moving the imports to rail cars destined for the Midwest, this new business further solidifies the port as a…

Port of Prince Rupert Export Logistics Project Moves Forward

The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) said in early March that its Ridley Island Export Logistics Project (RIELP) has reached a significant milestone: receipt of its final determination of the federal environmental effects evaluation review. “Federal authorities have determined … that the Ridley Island Export Logistics Project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects,” the port said in a March 2 statement. “This concludes the federal environmental review process, which is a prerequisite for the federal authorities to consider the required authorizations for the project to proceed.” The export logistics complex, which is planned for the southern end…

Long Beach Port Opens 1st Charging Stations for Heavy-Duty Trucks

Heavy-duty electric trucks servicing San Pedro Bay port terminals can now charge for free at the Port of Long Beach, which on Nov. 18 announced that it has opened the first two public charging stations in the nation for such vehicles. The port is partnering with EV Connect, a Los Angeles area-based provider of charge-management solutions for electric vehicles, to provide the stations at the Clean Truck Program Terminal Access Center, 1265 Harbor Ave., Long Beach. “Southern California will need a network of thousands of heavy-duty charging stations, not only at the ports but all around the region, as society…