News Briefs – Pacific Maritime Magazine

30 May

Container Dwell Times Up Slightly at San Pedro Bay Ports: PMSA

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News#sanpedrobay, dwelltimes, pmsa

The amount of cargo that lingered at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach before leaving by truck or by rail rose slightly last month but stayed within pre-pandemic levels, according to new data released May 23 by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. Container dwell time at the twin ports went up from 2.5 days in March to 3.1 days in April for cargo that left by truck and rose from 4.1 days in March to 4.7 days in April for containers departing by rail. This is in line with what has been trending for much of 2023 when…

30 May

NASSCO Awarded $736M Navy Oiler Build Contract

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsnassco, usnavy, vesselcontract

San Diego-based General Dynamics NASSCO has been retained to construct a ninth vessel in the U.S. Navy’s John Lewis-class fleet oiler program. The company announced May 23 that its current contract of eight ships with the Navy has been modified to allow for the building of an additional ship at a cost of $736 million. “NASSCO is proud of our ongoing dedication to deliver these ships to the fleet,” General Dynamics NASSCO President Dave Carver said. “We are committed to working with our Navy partners to ensure the continued success of the John Lewis-class fleet oiler program.” Construction of the…

30 May

Vancouver BC Lauds Completed Projects, DP World’s 100th Anniversary

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscenterm, dpworld, vancouver

May has been a month for celebration in Vancouver, British Columbia, where logistics company DP World and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority celebrated not only a newly completed Centerm Expansion Project at DP World Vancouver, but also the 100th anniversary of the port’s marine terminal operations. DP World teamed with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to finish the Centerm Expansion Project, a $350 million CAD ($260 million U.S.) project to bolster throughput by 60%, with the larger terminal now able to process 1.5 million TEUs annually and add 15% to the terminal’s footprint overall. “The 100th anniversary of terminal operations…

30 May

Canadian Tech Company Unveils ‘BuoyCam’ Navigation Aid

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online NewsBuoyCam, CoastAware, DataSystems, MarineLabs

There’s now new ocean technology available that could help mariners better navigate the ocean by visually assessing its conditions. British Columbia startup MarineLabs Data Systems has introduced a BuoyCam service that gives subscribers “360-degree, real-time views” of the ocean by using images from sensors situated along coastlines, the company announced May 17. Paired with other MarineLabs data, users can get access to the images using MarineLabs’ CoastAware platform on a desktop or smartphone and selecting the camera icon for a specific buoy to see 360-degree images from that location. The info is refreshed in CoastAware every 15 minutes. The BuoyCam…

30 May

Prison Sentence for Woman Who Sent Fake ILWU-PMA Health Plan Claims

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsilwu, pma, polb

A Los Angeles area woman who sent false claims to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union-Pacific Maritime Association (ILWU-PMA) benefit plan at the Port of Long Beach has been sentenced to 27 months in prison, City News Service reported May 23. Sara Victoria, 46, who pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy and aggravated identity theft last December, will also have to pay $551,810 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Victoria, along with eight other defendants -- seven of them Port of Long Beach dockworkers -- took advantage of the union health benefit plan that covers overall chiropractic…

23 May

$220 Million in Federal Funds Available for Passenger Ferry Projects

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsferries, fta, grants

About $220 million in grant funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is now available for projects that seek to help or upgrade passenger ferry service throughout the nation, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced May 18. About $50.1 million is available in FY 2023 through the Passenger Ferry Program, which funds projects to purchase, replace, or update passenger ferries, terminals and equipment. About $5 million is dedicated to low- or zero-emission ferries and related facilities/equipment, according to the FTA. "Passenger ferries provide critical and cost-effective travel for people throughout the United States, but they currently…

23 May

Port of Vancouver USA Receives Funding to Remove Old Dock

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsdockreplacement, terminal1, vancouverusa

The Washington State Legislature is giving the Port of Vancouver USA $3.5 million toward the removal of its century-old Terminal 1 dock, it was announced May 18. The legislature included in its final 2023 capital budget funding the port’s project to demolish and reconstruct the dock. When it’s replaced, the Terminal 1 dock will support a public market. Removal of the dock, which is expected to begin in this fall, involves removing 880 old wood pilings and creosote-treated pilings, then installing about 160 new steel and concrete pilings. Deck completion is set for early 2024. “Our state legislators have…

23 May

April Cargo Volumes Down at LA, Long Beach Ports

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscargovolumes, pola, polb

The Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports saw cargo volumes drop by double-digits last month, according to newly released data. Los Angeles saw overall cargo numbers fall 22% last month compared to April 2021, the second busiest April in port history, the port announced May 18. Los Angeles moved 688,110 TEUs last month, with imports down 25% to 343,689 TEUs and loaded exports down 12% to 88,202 TEUs. Empty containers also dropped 23% to 256,220 TEUs year over year, according to the port. “A cooling global economy, warehouses laden with aging inventory and prolonged West Coast labor negotiations have all…

23 May

WSF Vessel Conversion Contract Bidding Closes Soon

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsconversion, ferries, wsf

Prospective shipbuilders interested in converting Washington State Ferries’ three Jumbo Mark II vessels into hybrid electric vessels in the coming years have until June 1 to submit bids. The contract represents a significant step in lowering the agency’s reliance on diesel fuel and greenhouse gas emissions for fleet operations. “Converting the three largest vessels in the WSF fleet means that we are tackling the biggest emissions culprits, with 26% of greenhouse gases coming from these three vessels alone,” according to WSF. This move, according to the agency, is expected to decrease emissions by more than 20% from these three vessels…

23 May

Port of Oakland Amends TraPac Lease to Include Green Cargo Handling Equipment

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsportofoakland, TraPac

The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners has altered terminal operator TraPac’s lease to include sustainable improvements to cargo handling equipment at its facilities, a major step in greening operations, the port announced May 18. The amendment marks the first time the port is adding language to a terminal operator’s lease that cargo handling equipment be updated to lower pollution. “This landmark lease agreement will bring the port closer to its goal of achieving zero emissions operations,” port Executive Director Danny Wan said in a statement. The port is incentivizing TraPac’s efforts, offering to reimburse the terminal up to 35% (or…