OAKLAND is increasing the height of four quay cranes to enable them to work the biggest ships calling at American ports, reports IHS media.
The US$13.9 million crane raising starts in April and is expected to take 10 to 12 weeks per crane. The cranes will be supported by jacking frames while their legs are cut away and replaced with new, longer legs.
Today's cranes are 13 years old and will be raised 26 feet, able to reach 141 feet above the dock, or three rows of containers higher.
The cranes will be able to work 14,000-TEUers, which are now calling at Los Angeles-Long Beach inbound from Asia, and in Oakland outbound to Asia.
"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," said John Driscoll, Oakland's maritime director.
West coast ports anticipate 18,000-TEU vessels will be calling in the next few years. A number of 18,000-TEU ships serve the Asia-Europe trade today, and carriers have on order vessels with capacities exceeding 20,000 TEU.
With eight of its 33 cranes at Oakland's five terminals tall enough to work the mega ships, the port will have 12 super postpanamax cranes in operation.
PORTS
02 December 2015 - 23:42
Port of Oakland raises its crane heights to attract bigger ships
OAKLAND is increasing the height of four quay cranes to enable them to work the biggest ships calling at American ports, reports IHS media.
PORTS
02 December 2015 - 23:42
Port of Oakland raises its crane heights to attract bigger ships
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