For Immediate Release
June 14, 2002
OAKLAND, Calif (June 14, 2002) - As the Port
of Oakland celebrates 75 years of history, and the City of Oakland
honors its 150th Anniversary, the Port received 4 super-sized
"birthday presents" Friday morning, June 14, 2002. After
a 23-day voyage from Shanghai, China where some of the world's
biggest cranes are constructed, four super-Panamax cranes entered
the San Francisco Bay gliding under both the Golden Gate and Bay
Bridges with a few feet to spare.
"It's fitting that Oakland's 150th Birthday
is distinguished by the cranes' arrival," said Oakland Mayor
Jerry Brown. "They are impressive pieces of machinery essential
to facilitating the flow of goods throughout the Bay Area and
the state."
Port of Oakland Executive Director Tay Yoshitani
said, "These super-Panamax cranes exemplify the progress
being made by the Port of Oakland with its Vision 2000 maritime
expansion program, which is moving well toward completion."
Yoshitani added, "We're creating the infrastructure needed
to accommodate increased cargo shipping demands anticipated regionally
and globally. Also key to the Port's continuing success, is dredging
the Oakland harbor to -50 feet to provide the depth required for
these larger ships when loaded to capacity."
The Zhen Hua 4 delivered the "final four"
of the Port's largest cranes to date. This will bring the total
of the Port's post-Panamax cranes to 40. These newest giant cranes
will be installed at the Stevedoring Services of America Terminal
set for operation in August and a grand opening in October. These
enormous workhorses of the maritime industry are being added to
handle the newer, wider container vessels that now transit the
globe.
Port of Oakland President of the Board of
Port Commissioners Phillip Tagami stated, "Once we complete
the maritime expansion projects, the Oakland seaport will provide
a major economic benefit to the region by adding some 9,000 jobs,
more than $2 billion in business revenue annually and $62 million
in additional state and local taxes each year."
Port of Oakland Maritime Director Jerry Bridges
commented on the Port's growing success in the maritime industry,
"With this significant expansion, the Port of Oakland is
prepared to gain both new business as a first port of call and
a good share of the increase in international cargo movement as
the global economy turns around."
The Port's largest cranes are 365 feet high
with the booms up and 220 feet high with the booms lowered. The
booms are lowered so that the cranes can safely pass under the
Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. That means the cranes are about as
tall as a 22-story building when they pass under the bridges (220
feet high).
These new post-Panamax cranes have the capacity
to lift 65 long tons (145,600 lbs) at one time. These are among
the fastest cranes in the world, hoisting at a speed of 230 feet/minute
with the capacity to load or discharge over 30 cargo containers
per hour.
Today's delivery of 4 cranes, and the 4 that
arrived in May, bring a total of 8 new giant cranes to the Port
of Oakland this year. The cranes are worth about $7 million each
($5.5 million "off-the-shelf" plus $1.5 million each
for additional costs including delivery). With the Hanjin Terminal,
which opened last year (home of the first four giant cranes, berths
55 - 56), and the new Stevedoring Services of America Terminal
(berths 57 through 59), as many as 5 ships could be loaded or
unloaded simultaneously.
Combined the Port of Oakland has two new marine
terminals, 12 new super-Panamax cranes (8 this year and 4 from
the year 2000) and a new Joint Intermodal Terminal (near-dock
rail facility being operated as the Oakland International Gateway
by Burlington-Northern Santa Fe). With the expanded terminals,
the new JIT and the giant cranes, the Port of Oakland marine facilities
are nearly doubling in size.
The Port of Oakland, established in 1927,
is an independent department of the City of Oakland employing
some 600 people. The Port extends approximately 19 miles along
the east side of the Oakland Estuary from the border of the City
of Emeryville immediately north of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay
Bridge, to the south to the border of the City of San Leandro.
The Port of Oakland supports some 44,000 jobs and generates nearly
$7 billion in annual economic impact. The Port oversees Oakland
International Airport, Oakland's seaport and more than 1,000 acres
of real estate including Jack London Square, Oakland's premiere
entertainment spot along the waterfront. The Port of Oakland,
celebrating its 75th anniversary, is the fourth largest containerport
in the country.
