Three cranes able to load the world’s largest container ships will soon be headed to the Port of Oakland. Shanghai-based manufacturer ZPMC said this week that construction of the ship-to-shore behemoths is nearing completion in China, the company said in its release.
The cranes are due at Oakland International Container Terminal Sept. 14, according to terminal operator SSA Terminals. At 300-feet-high, it’s believed they’d be the tallest in North America when they commence operations in January.
ZPMC and SSA updated maritime executives on the new cranes this week at a meeting of the Propeller Club. Here are the vital statistics:
The cranes can lift containers 174 feet above the dock, enabling them to stack boxes 12-high on ships.
They can reach 125 feet across a ship's deck, spanning 24 rows of containers.
They'll be delivered by ship and require five days to be transferred from vessel to dock.
SSA operates the largest marine terminal at the Port of Oakland. Terminals are where ships are loaded and unloaded and where freight haulers pick up or drop off containerized cargo. Ultra large container vessels can carry up to 24,000 20-foot containers. ZPMC and SSA said Oakland’s new cranes were designed to load and unload ships that big. SSA placed a $30 million order for its new cranes in February 2019. In 2018, it completed a project to raise the height of four other ship-to-shore cranes.
About the Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport, and nearly 20 miles of waterfront including Jack London Square. The Port's 5-year strategic plan - Growth with Care - pairs business expansion with community benefits, envisioning more jobs and economic stimulus as the Port grows. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 84,000 jobs.