Another Container Port Adapts Equipment to Handle Ever Larger Vessels

US – The race for size continues with the world’s deep water ports continuing to extend their ability to cope with ever larger container ships. Along with the dredging of deep water channels comes the need to handle more TEU per hour with investment in bigger quayside cranes capable of longer and higher lifts, and now the Port of Oakland has come up with a solution as to how to stay abreast of developments with a $13.95 million project to enlarge its existing equipment to cope with the situation.

Oakland is to refurbish its four 13 year old cranes which will be supported by jacking frames while their legs are cut away and replaced with new, longer ones. The legs will be fabricated by Shanghai-based ZPMC, manufacturer of the gantry cranes and enable the units, each of which can lift up to 65 tonnes, to be capable of reaching three extra rows high on a vessel.

Overall the cranes will be 26 feet higher than at present and the taller cranes, located at Oakland International Container Terminal, will be able to reach 141 feet above the dock. They’ll have the height to load and unload ships with a capacity up to 14,000 TEU, which Oakland says are currently the biggest vessels calling in the US. Work will commence in April and each crane will take 10 to 12 weeks to adapt. Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll said:

“The big ships come here on a regular basis. This equips us to take on more of them as shipping lines continue to scale up.”