A new ship-to-shore (STS) crane has started operations at the Port of Oakland on the Ben E. Nutter Terminal, run by Everport Terminal Services, Inc. (ETS) which invested in port infrastructure enhancement.
The new crane with a lift height from the dock of 52 meters arrived in June in the Californian port, where it had to be reassembled, tested, and commissioned before started operations.
According to the announcement, reassembling such a giant crane on the wharf is a complex process, requiring multiple trade, labour and professional workers, such as longshore workers, electrical, mechanical and structural engineers, iron workers, and construction crane operators.
Furthermore, the testing process includes electrical diagnostics and structural inspections, while endurance testing is mandatory to ensure that the cranes run properly at full speed.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has also examined the equipment before the machine can be put into service.
Port officials said the timing couldn’t be better as cargo volume at Oakland is expected to increase by late October as the holidays approach and US trade increases.
“New container cranes help keep the Port of Oakland competitive and ready to handle record cargo volumes,” pointed out the port’s Maritime Director, Bryan Brandes.
All container cranes in the eighth busiest port in the United States run on electricity with zero local emissions from regular crane operations.
