The following release was published by Northwest Seaport Alliance:
SSA Terminals (Seattle Terminals), LLC (“SSAT/ST”), a joint venture between SSA Marine, Matson, Inc. and Terminal Investment Ltd., and The Northwest Seaport Alliance welcomed two ZPMC Super Post-Panamax cranes to the North Harbor marking a significant milestone in Phase Two of the Terminal 5 Modernization Project.
After spending several weeks traveling from Shanghai to Seattle, the cranes concluded their journey through the Puget Sound, arriving in Elliott Bay on Friday, November 17th. The two new cranes are joining four existing Super Post-Panamax cranes that arrived at Terminal 5 in 2021.
Standing 316 feet tall with a 240-foot outreach boom, each crane can handle vessels with containers stacked 10 high and 25 wide on deck, providing increased capacity and job opportunities for our region and will be among the largest cranes along the west coast. SSAT/ST is the owner and future operator of the cranes.
“The Northwest Seaport Alliance, alongside SSAT/ST, are committed to making strategic infrastructure investments that maintain our gateway’s competitiveness and supports living wage maritime jobs in the Puget Sound,” stated Port of Seattle Commission President and NWSA Co-Chair, Sam Cho. “The arrival of the new Super Post-Panamax cranes and completion of the South Berth expansion will enable two vessels to berth at Terminal 5 increasing cargo throughput that supports importers and exporters utilizing our gateway.” “SSAT/ST is proud to bring two new Super Post-Panamax cranes to Seattle’s Terminal 5,” stated Ed DeNike, President of SSA Containers. “We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with the Northwest Seaport Alliance to advance, and invest in, the modernization of Terminal 5’s capabilities to meet the growing needs of our customers.” “This investment fits in TiL’s target to develop capacity in our key gateways for US trade. Terminal 5 is now not only the facility that can handle the biggest container vessels in the Puget Sound area, but it is also a terminal that is increasingly lowering its environmental footprint through investments such as these,” stated Tom Van Eynde, Head of North America activities of Terminal Investment Limited. “Terminal 5 is one of our gateway’s premier international container terminals,” stated Port of Tacoma Commission President and NWSA Co-Chair Deanna Keller. “The Terminal 5 Modernization’s Phase One completion in 2021 added critical cargo capacity to our gateway and when Phase Two opens early next year, it will further expand our ability to move cargo and drive economic benefits across our local, state, and regional economy.” In addition to the two new Super Post-Panamax cranes, SSAT/ST will also be unloading three ZPMC hybrid rubber tire gantry (“RTG”) cranes from the vessel at Terminal 5. RTG cranes manage, move, and deliver container cargo at marine terminals and these hybrid RTGs will mark one of the first investments in hybrid cargo handling equipment in the NWSA gateway.
The two additional Terminal 5 cranes will begin moving cargo at the beginning of 2024, upon completion of the South Berth expansion and completion of this portion of the Phase Two modernization project.
Source: Northwest Seaport Alliance