The four new ZPMC Super-Post Panamax cranes have arrived at the Seattle Harbor, after several weeks travelling from Shanghai to the Pacific Northwest, to enhance the capabilities of the Terminal 5.
The new cranes, which are owned and will be operated by SSA Marine, stand 96 metres tall with a 73-metre outreach boom and can lift 100 tons, being among the largest on the West Coast of the United States.
The new equipment is part of the Terminal 5 Modernization Project, which will expand gateway cargo capacity and enable the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) to handle the largest vessels in the Transpacific trade.
The cranes concluded their journey through the Puget Sound to Elliott Bay on Sunday, 13 June.
“Farmers, manufacturers, and other exporters from Washington state to the Midwest depend on the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma to quickly move their products to buyers in Asia and beyond,” stated Senator Maria Cantwell. “Expanding capacity at Seattle’s Terminal 5 to handle the largest, newest cargo ships is critical to keeping our ports competitive in the global economy.”
The new Terminal 5 cranes will begin moving cargo at the beginning of 2022, when phase one of the two-phase construction project is complete. At full completion, Terminal 5 will boast approximately 750,000m² of additional capacity and on-dock rail to handle discretionary cargo and shorepower.
Beyond import cargo, Terminal 5 will increase opportunities for exporters from the mid-west and eastern Washington to move their goods to market, according to an announcement.
“Reopening T-5 will not only enable us to reduce the truck traffic congestion serving T-18, but with the new cranes able to serve larger vessels, more cargo can be moved on fewer ships. Furthermore, air, noise and climate impacts will be reduced by enabling ships to use shore power rather than running their generators while at berth,” commented Port of Seattle Commission President and NWSA Co-Chair, Fred Felleman.
City of Seattle Mayor, Jenny A. Durkan added that “The new cranes at the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 5 are key to our economic recovery and will bring a boost to our local economy, speed up shipping for businesses that are reopening, and provide additional family wage jobs to folks who are returning to work.”
