Port of Oakland - Maritime

Port of Oakland Receives New Super Post-Panamax Cranes (Port poised to gain new business)
Oakland 5-01-02 - Today, as the Port of Oakland celebrates 75 years of history, the Port is also making its mark on the future with the arrival of more giant container cranes. After a 23-day voyage from Shanghai, China where some of the world's biggest cranes are constructed, four post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes sailed smoothly this morning into the San Francisco Bay.

The container cranes aboard "Zhen Hua 1" floated under the Golden Gate Bridge with more than 10 feet to spare and under the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Bridge with only a 4 foot-gap from the top of the cranes to the underbelly of the span. There will also be another set of four enormous cranes arriving in mid-June.

Port of Oakland Executive Director Tay Yoshitani said, "These super post-Panamax cranes symbolize the progress being made by the Port of Oakland with its maritime expansion program, which is moving well toward completion." Yoshitani added, "We're creating the infrastructure necessary to meet increased cargo shipping demands anticipated on a regional, national and international scale."

You may recall the excitement around the first four super post-Panamax cranes, as they were carefully delivered to the Port in October 2000. This latest delivery includes two of the Port's largest cranes, which will be installed at the new Stevedoring Services of America Terminal set for operation in August 2002. These enormous workhorses of the maritime industry are being added to handle the newer, wider container vessels that now transit the globe. Two more post-Panamax cranes, slightly shorter, will replace two older cranes at the Transbay Container Terminal located in the Outer Harbor.

Port of Oakland Maritime Director Jerry Bridges commented on the port's growing success in the maritime industry, "With this tremendous expansion, the Port of Oakland is well-positioned to capture both new business as a first port of call and a good share of the increase in international cargo movement as the global economy turns around."

The Port of Oakland's giant cranes accommodate the newest generation container ships. The cranes have the capacity to lift 65 long tons (145,600 lbs) at one time. They can reach 201 feet over a ship. These are among the fastest cranes in the world, hoisting at a speed of 230 feet/minute with the capacity to load or discharge over 30 cargo containers per hour. In the business of moving goods, speed means saving time and money.

With these new cranes, the Port of Oakland's Vision 2000 maritime expansion program is entering the final phases of terminal construction. This program includes the development of two new multi-berth marine terminals with 12 new super post-Panamax cranes and a new Joint Intermodal Terminal. The first marine terminal, assigned to Hanjin, opened in June 2001 and the new near-dock Joint Intermodal Terminal opened in March 2002. Once completed, the new marine facilities will enable the Port of Oakland to nearly double in size and capacity.

To also accommodate the larger post-Panamax vessels being built, the Port of Oakland has initiated a -50 foot dredging program. This multi-year project, which started last October, will deepen the shipping channels and berths from -42 feet to -50 feet.

The Port of Oakland, celebrating its 75th anniversary, is the fourth largest containerport in the country. Established in 1927 as an independent department of the City of Oakland, the Port spans 19 miles of waterfront and more than 900 acres of maritime terminal facilities. Port facilities include 10 major container terminals covering approximately 5765 acres; the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, which covers an area of over 2,500 acres; more than 1,000 acres of commercial, industrial, recreational, and other land; 950 acres of underdeveloped land; and about 9,700 surface acres of water area.


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