According to the Port of Oakland publication, three gigantic cranes are now part of the skyline of the Port of Oakland, California, USA.
Each crane takes weeks to build and the third was completed last week. In the next phase, the cranes are tested and then put into operation for work. The first of three cranes may be commissioned in late March or early April.
“These new cranes in Oakland will greatly improve the ability to move cargo more efficiently,” said Bryan Brandes, Port of Oakland’s maritime director. “The Oakland International Container Terminal is the largest marine terminal in our port. and now it is home to the tallest cranes that can receive the largest ships calling North America. “
Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) operates the Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT). SSA ordered the cranes from Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company Limited (ZPMC), where they were first built. The cranes were sent in sections on a ship to Oakland, where the cranes have been assembled on the quay for the past two months. These larger cranes support the maritime business and related jobs in Oakland and the region.
The new Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes will lift 174 feet above the dock. The lifting height allows greater flexibility when unloading and loading containers. Stacks of containers on a ship resemble a giant puzzle. You have to find the right container to pull it off the ship, and that means that “puzzle pieces” are moved around the ship. With larger cranes, the flexibility to move the containers to and from a ship is more flexible.
The boom is the long arm of the crane that lowers to reach horizontally across the width of a ship. The boom in the service position is nearly vertical at 442 feet. The boom in its “stowed” position at a 45 degree angle is 372 feet high.
The next steps are testing and commissioning the cranes. The exam includes electrical diagnostics and structural inspections. Endurance testing is required, and that means checking things like crane motors and crane hoists to make sure they are performing as they are supposed to at full speed. OSHA must also inspect the equipment before the cranes can be operated.
A crane weighs around 1,600 tons. All container cranes in Port of Oakland are powered by electricity, so there are no local emissions from routine crane work.
Across the port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport and the nearly 20 miles long waterfront, including Jack London Square. The port’s 5-year strategic plan – Grow With Care – combines business expansion with community benefits and provides more jobs and economic stimulus as the port grows.
