December 2022 – Page 2 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

$94 Million in Federal Grants Awarded to California Ports

About $94 million in U.S. Transportation Department grants to bolster infrastructure at six California ports and harbor districts were announced in late October. The grants focus on electrification, emissions reduction and port congestion. The grants go toward critical repairs, container facilities, freight rail connections and electric port equipment to modernize ports and make them more environmentally responsible. “California’s ports play a critical role in keeping our global economy moving, supporting a vibrant workforce and advancing the state’s climate goals,” said California Association of Port Authorities President Danny Wan, also the executive director of the Port of Oakland. “This investment will…

AAPA Installs New Chair, Board Members, Including Wan

The American Association of Port Authorities elected a new board chairman – Sean Strawbridge, chief executive officer of the Port of Corpus Christi —on Oct. 17 during its 111th Annual Convention and Expo in Orlando, Fla. He replaces outgoing Chairman Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach. Cordero made the formal announcement during an address to members and attendees at the event. Strawbridge has over 30 years of experience in the energy and global transportation sector. He has experience in development, capital structuring, operations and both public and private partnerships. He has headed the Port of Corpus…

Nuvera Powering Fuel Cell Shipping Container Handler at Port of LA

Nuvera Fuel Cells, a provider of heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell engines for on- and off-road mobility and other applications, is powering a Hyster top-pick container handler with two E-45 fuel cell engines at the Port of Los Angeles. The zero-emissions container handler is being operated at Fenix Marine Services, a terminal operator owned by the CMA CGM Group. A grant awarded to the project manager, the Center for Transportation and the Environment, by the California Air Resources Board in 2018, helped support development of the hydrogen fuel cell-powered container handler. Refueling is expected to take about 15 minutes, and the…

Port of Seattle Touts Record-Breaking Cruise Season

The Port of Seattle reported in late October that it “broke new records and reached new milestones” during this year’s cruise season. The season, which began in April, ended in late October when the Norwegian Encore left Pier 66 for the final departure of the year. Over the course of the 2022 season, 1.28 million revenue passengers, or 640,000 individual travelers, came through the port on an Alaskan cruise. The new passenger volume record marks a 6% increase over 2019’s passenger volume. “In 2020, when the port and region lost the expected revenue of an entire cruise season, we outlined…

Shoreside Power: To Plug or Not to Plug

In 2008, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) laid out new regulations that mandated strict reductions in air pollutants produced by container, cruise and refrigerated cargo ships docked at the busiest ports in the state. Scaled upward over the following years, the key requirements of the regulation called for a minimum cut of 80% in emissions starting in 2020. The directive—the strictest such pollution control guidelines in the country—has sped the implementation of so-called “cold ironing,” in which ships damp their main and auxiliary engines while at berth and “plug-in” to power onboard generators and other equipment with high-voltage electrical…

Newsmakers

Crowley Names New Chief Information Officer Crowley Maritime has named Erika Graziuso as its chief information officer, the company announced Oct. 26. In her new role, Graziuso is to lead Crowley’s information technology and digital transformation strategy with a key focus on digital solutions, cybersecurity and responsible data management, according to the company. Graziuso previously served as global chief information officer for human resources solutions firm LHH, and group senior vice president of technology for recruitment company the Adecco Group. There, her efforts resulted in digital solutions to support new market trends. Graziuso also previously served as cluster head for…

Protesting Longshore Workers Temporarily Shutter Oakland Seaport

On Nov. 2, dozens of International Longshore and Warehouse Union members temporarily walked off the job at the Port of Oakland due to a pay dispute. The protest was staged by ILWU Clerks Local 34, which is headquartered in San Francisco and represents Bay Area longshore union clerks at the region’s seaports. According to Local 34 President Sean Farley, the walkout was due to more than 200 outstanding wage claims dating back to June. Some clerks are only owed a few hours of work, while others were due more than $1,000, according to Farley. Currently, the union and Pacific Maritime…

A Ship Within Troubled Waters

The vessel/hotel Queen Mary and its conjoined Russian submarine, sit abandoned and rusting in Long Beach. They are an example of civic pride gone awry and failed governmental oversight. The Queen Mary is a story of unfulfilled promises, multiple bankruptcies, city auditor reports, unaccounted for public funds, multiple operators and a vessel/hotel that has bounced between the City of Long Beach and the Port of Long Beach, back to the city and now a proposal to give it back to the port. The Queen Mary is indeed iconic. It is also a failure and an example of poor public policy…

USCG Cutter Alert Returns from Eastern Pacific Ocean Patrol

After 68 days patrolling the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Alert (WMEC 630) returned to its Astoria, Ore., homeport on Oct. 8. During that time, crew members of the 210-foot medium endurance cutter traveled more than 13,700 nautical miles from Oregon to Columbia, providing law enforcement support for various initiatives, including counter-drug missions, search-and-rescue operations and international law enforcement training engagements, according to the Coast Guard. Crew members also approached three Costa Rican fishing vessels and seized 1,440 pounds of marijuana worth $1.4 million. “Furthermore, during the boarding of the fishing vessel Mujer Gitana, Alert’s crew detected…

LA, LB, Singapore Ports Establishing Green, Digital Shipping Corridor

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles and C40 Cities have begun discussions to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between Singapore and the San Pedro Bay port complex, the various entities confirmed Nov. 7. The corridor would focus on low- and zero-carbon ship fuels, as well as digital tools to support deployment of low- and zero-carbon ships. “Decarbonizing the supply chain is the future of our industry, and partnerships like this on the world’s most important trade route are important for fulfilling that ultimate goal,” Port of Long Beach Executive…