Port of Oakland to Rise Its Cranes
Image Courtesy: Port of OaklandThe Port of Oakland said that up to six 366-foot-tall cranes will soon be raised 27-feet higher as the port gets ready to welcome megaships with containers stacked high above deck.
The project will see the port invest from USD 14 million to USD 21 million in its largest marine terminal starting in April to make it easier to load and unload megaships.
“We’re already working the largest ships to call in North America,” John Driscoll, Port of Oakland Maritime Director, said, adding that by raising the height of ship-to-shore cranes, “we make certain that we’re ready as more megaships head our way.”
Approved on February 23, the crane plan calls for installing longer legs on four-to-six cranes at Oakland International Container Terminal, which handles 70 percent of Oakland’s cargo.
The Port of Oakland will finance the project, which is scheduled to be finalized in the second quarter of 2018, while the terminal operator, SSA, will repay the port over the life of its Oakland lease.
The port said it will take about nine weeks to raise each crane. Jacking equipment is already en route to Oakland.
