Oakland, CA 03-16-10 Three new container cranes headed to the port of Oakland are just outside the Golden Gate. The cranes sailed across the Pacific Ocean from Shanghai, China aboard the "Zhen Hua 15" vessel. One of the Port of Oakland’s maritime tenants, Evergreen Marine Corporation, had the three super post-Panamax cranes designed and built for the Ben E. Nutter terminal at the Port of Oakland. They will be sailing into the San Francisco Bay this morning under the Golden gate bridge around 8:30 a.m. and the Bay Bridge around 9:15 a.m. Evergreen’s shipping agent, following consultation with the US Coast Guard, ZPMC (the crane company that built the cranes and is delivering them), the SF Bar Pilots, CalTrans and the California Highway Patrol, determined the arrival time based on the tides and other factors to maximize safety and minimize traffic impact.

Port of Oakland executive Director Omar Benjamin said, “These new container cranes symbolize Evergreen’s confidence in the Port of Oakland, the City of Oakland, and the entire bay area region.” The Port of Oakland currently has 19 super-post-Panamax cranes at its maritime facilities. Evergreen’s three new cranes are also super-post-Panamax. This brings the total to 22 of these state-of-the-art cranes at the Port of Oakland that can accommodate the larger container ships which now transit the globe.

This is an engineering feat as the crew of the vessel spent the weekend in Drakes Bay (near Pt. Reyes National Seashore) to lower the structural apexes of the cranes which when at full height are 253 feet high or the equivalent of a 25-story building. Simply stated – the crew “folded” the apexes so that they will be able to sail under the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges safely and with sufficient clearance as they head for their final destination at the Ben E. Nutter terminal at the Port of Oakland. These new cranes are large enough to accommodate the newer, wider container ships currently being used in the maritime industry. The boom outreach is 210 feet meaning the boom can span the width of a ship 24 containers wide.

About the Port of Oakland: The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport, offering over 140 daily flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland. Please visit: www.portofoakland.com.

Media Contacts:

Port of Oakland
Marilyn Sandifur, Port Spokesperson
Media & Public Relations Department
(510) 627-1193
Click here to contact Marilyn Sandifur

or
Robert Bernado (510) 627-1401
[email protected]