The Port of Oakland has added state-of-the-art super-post-Panamax cranes over the past decade to handle the larger container ships that now transit the globe. When the Alameda Naval Air Station was in service, however, Oakland used thousand-ton “low-profile” cranes to accommodate flight-path safety issues.
By Patrick Burnson
Published: September, 2010
Since the base closure, those cranes are no longer needed here. In the meantime, the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) needs low-profile cranes due to the proximity of its container terminal to Boston Logan International Airport. The Port of Oakland and Massport have recently cooperated so that the cranes from Oakland can be re-used at the east coast facility. The first part of this engineering feat has been completed; in August, the cranes were loaded aboard a barge and pulled away from Berth 37 at the Port of Oakland.
Port of Oakland Maritime Director James Kwon said, “We are pleased that our low-profile container cranes are going to be put to good use at Massport. This demonstrates how the port industry is making conscious decisions for the environment whenever possible. With the re-use of these cranes, we are reducing waste and saving resources, and Massport gets cranes that are ready to be put in service.”
The two Kocks cranes’ total weight equals approximately five million pounds. They use electrical power to operate, so there are no emissions in the port area when they are in use. The barges taking the cranes to the Port of Boston are beginning a month-long, 6,300-mile waterborne journey that will take them through the Panama Canal and up the east coast to their new home at Conley Container Terminal.
The Kocks container cranes from the Port of Oakland have a boom outreach of 150 feet. Each crane can lift as much as 50 Long Tons (112,000 lbs.) in one lift. These cranes are 132 feet high (about the height of a 12-story building) and are expected to arrive in Boston by mid-September. Rigging International of Alameda (a member of the Sarens Group, Belgium) is responsible for the entirety of the cranes’ journey and for their setup in Boston. The low-profile cranes in Oakland were replaced by Evergreen’s new super post-Panamax cranes that arrived in March of this year. The new Evergreen cranes had to be fully operational before the low-profile cranes could be removed.
World Maritime Day to Combat Climate Change
When the United States Coast Guard hosted the primary World Maritime Day in New York last year, a similar event gained traction here in the Bay Area. Now ports around the country are holding their own observances to provide valuable education, awareness and publicity on the maritime community’s efforts to combat climate change.
The Navy League of the United States Pacific Merchant Marine Council will have a program on 2010 World Maritime Day “Year of the Seafarer” at its luncheon on Monday, September 20. The Council welcomes other organizations to participate in this luncheon on the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien or to host activities of their own. The council desires to be kept abreast of other World Maritime Day activities.
The “Year of the Seafarer” in 2010 will provide an excellent opportunity to convey to seafarers (1.5 million strong worldwide) a clear message that the entire shipping community understands the conditions under which they operate, shows compassion for the sacrifices they make, and does care for them.
For more information, Bay Crossings readers may contact Phelps Hobart, President of the Pacific Merchant Marine Council at (415) 544-0100.
