Terminal Operations – Page 3 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

Port of Benicia Devastated by Four Alarm Fire

The Port of Benicia, a small, privately operated port in the San Francisco Bay area, was devastated by a four-alarm fire in April. The port, which is operated by Amports, a Maryland-based auto processing company, saw the blaze erupt in the early afternoon of Saturday, April 9, according to the City of Benicia, in the 1000 block of Bayshore Boulevard, next to the Amports port terminal. Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick said that when fire crews arrived, the blaze was burning upward from a conveyer belt toward a docked tanker ship. “While responding, we received updates that the fire (was)…

San Pedro Bay Ports Begin Collecting Clean Truck Fee

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on April 1 began collecting a $10 per TEU rate on loaded import and export containers moved by drayage trucks coming and going from terminals. The ports are working toward reaching zero-emissions for drayage trucks by 2035 and revenue from the fee goes toward the Clean Truck Fund, which was established to help pay for the transition to cleaner trucks and create the funds needed to speed up zero-emissions technology development. About $90 million could be generated in the first year toward that effort, according to the ports. The ports have hired…

Port of San Diego Adding Electric Vehicles to Fleet

More than a dozen electric vehicles (EV) are scheduled to arrive next year at the Port of San Diego. Port commissioners recently voted to spend $820,000 to buy 14 electric vehicles from National Auto Fleet Group. The 10 medium-duty pickup trucks and four vans will launch the port’s conversion to a zero-emissions fleet, replacing gas or diesel-powered vehicles, the port said March 9. The purchase puts into action the port’s Maritime Clean Air Strategy goals set forth by the community and other stakeholders, Dan Malcolm, chair of the Board of Port Commissioners said. “Not only is our approach to improving…

Port of Everett Inks Deal for Restoration of Historic Waterfront Building

The Port of Everett has signed a 10-year lease with Weyerhaeuser Muse LLC to renovate and reopen the historic 1920s Weyerhaeuser Building on the waterfront. The contract with the company owned by Jack and Jin Ng of China City Property LLC calls for plans to install a new whiskey bar and coffee shop called The Muse and space for the Port of Everett Marina boating clubs to meet. The port plans to spend up to $1 million to renovate and ready the building for tenant improvements later this year. The port hopes to open the building in 2023; it would…

State of Oregon to Help Fund Port of Newport Seawall Repair

A $1.14 million appropriation from the State of Oregon is expected to allow the Port of Newport to make major repairs this year to the 540-foot seawall that supports the headquarters for Newport-based Rogue Nation Brewing. Built in 1979, the seawall was under study by an engineering firm in 2021 after showing signs of considerable wear and corrosion. PBS Engineering reported that the seawall “is considered to have exceeded its useful design life” and predicted the eventual failing of the corroded steel piles if measures weren’t taken to repair or replace the structure. Last November, port General Manager Paula Miranda…

Bay Area Report 2022: Pandemic Rebound

Two years after COVID-19 swept the world, the Bay Area, like many maritime regions, continues to feel the effects of the pandemic. During this time, the Bay Area’s maritime industry has been working to rebound from the impacts while investing in its future, whether it is seaports finding ways to ease the bottlenecks stemming from pandemic-driven cargo records or a transportation agency working to maintain services as ferry riders slowly return. Here’s a look at what’s happening in the region: PORT OF OAKLAND For the past several months, the Port of Oakland has been working to solve a major shipping…

Port of Grays Harbor Tenant to Expand Export Facility

The Port of Grays Harbor’s biggest marine terminal customer, Nebraska-based U.S. soybean processor/refiner AGP, is making expansion plans for its Washington Coast facility, the port revealed in late March. AGP’s Board of Directors recently approved plans to expand and enhance its facilities at the port, including more storage at its current export facility at Terminal 2 and a new, modern ship loader at Terminal 4. “The port’s strategic location and access to rail have once again presented us with an incredible opportunity with a committed, strong private partner willing to further invest in our community,” POGH Executive Director Gary Nelson…

Port of LA Completes Everport Terminal Improvements

The Port of Los Angeles has completed construction of the $65 million Everport Terminal Improvement Project located at Berths 226-236 along the Los Angeles Main Channel, the port confirmed in April. The project, according to the port, would allow Everport to improve the container-handling efficiency and capacity of its existing terminal to accommodate the projected fleet mix of larger container vessels anticipated to call at the Everport Container Terminal over the next two decades. The deployment of these larger vessels encourages fewer ship calls, reducing air emissions. “The completion of this project marks years of planning and perseverance through a…

Animal Food Contraband Smuggled Through LA/LB Ports at Record Levels: Customs

The seizures of prohibited meat products from China is continuing at levels never seen before at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex, according to a new report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In just the first quarter of fiscal year 2022, (October-December 2021) Customs agriculture specialists intercepted 262,237 pounds of prohibited pork, chicken, beef and duck products, a 33% increase from same period the year before, Customs data show. “This concerning uptrend began intensifying in fiscal year 2021, when in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of prohibited animal products interdicted by CBP at the LA/LB Seaport…

CMA CGM Finalizes Majority Purchase of Fenix Marine Services

French shipping company CMA CGM Group has finalized an agreement to become the sole owner of the Fenix Marine Services container terminal in Los Angeles, the company said Jan. 5. Under the agreement, which was initially announced in November, CMA CMM is acquiring 90% of the company from EQT Infrastructure III for an estimated $2.3 billion. The shipping company previously held a 10% stake in the terminal, but now has sole ownership and said that it plans to take over the operations of the facility with the goal of improving its service quality and invest in increasing container yard and…