PMM Online News – Page 2 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

04 Feb

ITS, InductEV to Launch Inductive Chargers at Port of Long Beach

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online NewsInductEV, its, polb

Terminal operator International Transportation Service (ITS) and Pennsylvania-based electric vehicle tech firm InductEV are teaming up to bring high-power inductive chargers to the Port of Long Beach, they announced Jan. 29. ITS, which has netted a $3.3 million California Energy Commission grant, said it plans to use InductEV’s wireless charging system for its hands-free charging for battery-electric cargo handling equipment. InductEV said its current systems range from 75 kW to 450 kW for a wireless charge with no additional real estate compared to wired conductive chargers, adding that “the hands-free operation improves driver safety as well.” The ITS project is…

04 Feb

Seaspan’s Welding Center Earns ISO Accreditation

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsseaspan, vancouvershipyards, weldingcenter

North Vancouver shipbuilder Seaspan has garnered an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) accreditation for the Welding Centre of Excellence (COE) laboratory at its Vancouver Shipyards location, the company announced Jan. 27. The accreditation, which shows the lab’s competency in conducting mechanical testing, makes Seaspan the only Canadian shipyard with an onsite ISO-accredited laboratory. “We’ve been supporting welding procedures testing for the Polar Icebreaker, as well as material testing for Victoria Shipyards with witnesses from the appropriate governing bodies ensuring the validity of our results,” Hassan Saghafifar, supervisor of the Seaspan Shipyards welding and material testing lab said. “Now, we can…

04 Feb

San Diego Maritime Museum Names New President/CEO

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsmaritimemuseum, newsmakers, sandiego

Christina Connett Brophy, a seasoned executive in museum management, has been appointed the new president and CEO of the Maritime Museum of San Diego, the museum announced Jan. 29. Connett Brophy is expected to lead the nonprofit organization, which is dedicated to “collecting, preserving, and presenting the rich maritime heritage connections with the Pacific world.” The museum boasts a substantial collection of National Historic Landmark Vessels, including sailing ships, steam-powered and submarine. Connett Brophy’s experience in museum leadership spans more than a decade, including as senior vice president of the Mystic Seaport Museum and the Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed…

04 Feb

9 Indicted Re: Alleged Mass Smuggling Scheme at LA/Long Beach Ports

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newshomelandsecurity, pola, polb, smuggling

Nine people, ranging from logistics executives and warehouse owners to truckers, have been named in a federal indictment involving an alleged wide-scale scheme to smuggle millions of dollars’ worth of fake goods from China through the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports, the U.S. Justice Department said Jan. 27. The 15-count federal indictment, which was unsealed Jan. 24, charges nine people with “conspiracy, smuggling and breaking customs seals” from at least August 2023 to June 2024, according to the Justice Department. The agency asserts that the nine people shifted cargo containers from China for “off-site secondary inspection” and swapped the…

04 Feb

Glosten to Collaborate on Floating Nuclear Power Plant

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscorepower, fnpp, glosten

Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten has been tapped by global marine nuclear energy solutions provider Core Power for a floating nuclear power plant concept for U.S. seaports. Glosten said Jan. 29 that it would help Core Power design a barge-based power plant structure that could generate about 175GWh of clean electricity annually. Glosten also would develop the operational concept and regulatory pathway for the structure, handle site approvals and help put together a network of businesses that could potentially make, assemble, move and install the floating power plants. “The marine industry has experienced a massive push to…

28 Jan

Port of LA, Partners Team on Emission Reduction Projects

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newspola, zeroemissions #lamer

The Port of Los Angeles is collaborating with ferry service Catalina Express and whale watching tour agency Harbor Breeze Cruises on a series of projects to test emission-reduction technology for specialized harbor craft. The project, made possible in part by a $31 million California Air Resources Board (CARB) grant, would demonstrate two harbor craft emission-reduction technologies and a comprehensive assessment of “next-generation, less-polluting harbor craft,” the port said Jan. 16. The Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction (LA MER) project calls for designing, building and launching a passenger ferry running on Tier 4 engines and “potentially a CARB-verified, U.S. Coast Guard-approved…

28 Jan

Port of Coos Bay Wins Rail Upgrade Grant Funding

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscoosbay, grants, rail

The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay has been awarded nearly $4 million in Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program funding for an overpass project and safety enhancements at a nearby rail crossing, the port announced Jan. 16. This funding, which comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation, is expected to pay for the design and engineering costs of a new overpass crossing along Oregon Highway 38, as well as rail crossing safety improvements in Reedsport, Ore., the port said. “This grant will give us the opportunity to further explore options for mitigating the potential effects of increased rail traffic…

28 Jan

POLA Exec. Dir. Outlines Successes, Priorities at Annual ‘State of Port’ Event

Mark Edward NeroNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newspola, stateoftheport

With a focus on “people, planet and performance,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka outlined the port’s agenda for the coming year at the POLA’s 10th annual State of the Port event on Jan. 23. Seroka, now in his 11th year as executive director, outlined the POLA’s strategic priorities for the year ahead in the aforementioned three key areas. People Emphasizing the need to prioritize people and workforce development, Seroka highlighted the port’s newly opened $16 million ILWU-PMA Maintenance and Repair Training Center on Terminal Island, and the ongoing development of a new Goods Movement Training Facility. Both…

28 Jan

Washington State Ferries Ridership Rose in 2024

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsferries, ridership, wsf

An estimated 19.1 million people rode Washington State Ferries in 2024, nearly a half-million more riders than in 2023, according to data released Jan. 13 by the state ferry system. The transit agency attributed the heightened attendance of 2.6% to a leap in walk-on riders and its fewest number of canceled sailings since 2020. Walk-on passengers accounted for the 5.7% increase (about 224,000 more riders) with tourism and more people returning to the workplace on the rise, according to WSF, which also saw a 1.1% uptick in passengers with vehicles with 102,000 people. The most notable year-to-year surge was experienced…

28 Jan

Port of San Diego Begins Shelter Island Boat Launch Ramp Repairs

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsboatlaunchramp, posd, sheterisland

Repairs to the Shelter Island Boat Launch Ramp at the Port of San Diego began on Jan. 27, the port said in an announcement. The work, which is expected to be complete in April, involves adding about 200 cubic yards of sand beneath the damaged docks on the nearby upland beach along the boardwalk that’s eroding, taking down the damaged floating docks and putting in a new dock. Neoprene sleeves and stainless-steel wedge anchors also are expected to be installed along the seawall. Meanwhile, the public still has access to the eastside floating dock during repairs, which are scheduled for…