Harbor Commission News

Officials dedicated two new Port of Long Beach fireboat stations that are enhancing the Long Beach Fire Department’s waterside and landside emergency response capabilities, better safeguarding visiting ships, cargo and waterfront workers.The facilities – Fireboat Station 15 and Fireboat Station 20 – are the products of a $109 million Port of Long Beach program to preserve business continuity, security and economic interests. With an anticipated lifespan of 50 years, both stations…

The Port of Los Angeles has recognized the achievements of more than two dozen shipping lines and carriers for participating in the Port’s Vessel Speed Reduction Program (VSRP), an air quality and annual incentive program for vessel operators who reduce their speed as they approach or depart the port.The voluntary program is one of many sustainability efforts currently underway at the Port to reduce emissions and decarbonize operations.Emission reductions are achieved under the…

A critical channel deepening project that will help move cargo more efficiently to and from the U.S. advanced Monday after the Long Beach Harbor Commission concluded an extensive environmental review process and greenlit the endeavor.The work will also allow the port to welcome newer cleaner, and more efficient cargo vessels. The Port of Long Beach and the federal government will share the costs, estimated at almost $170 million. The port’s portion is estimated at $109 million.“By improving navigation in Long Beach Harbor…

Hawaii-based Pasha Hawaii welcomed the newest member to its containership fleet with the arrival of George III at the Port of Long Beach in California, where she will begin her maiden voyage to Honolulu, Hawaii. This is the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered vessel to fuel on the West Coast and the first to serve Hawaii. The 774-foot containership was built in Brownsville, Texas by Keppel AmFELS, marking the first of two new ‘Ohana Class containerships to join Pasha Hawaii’s fleet…

It was an unusually slow day on the docks back on April 21, 2021 when crewmembers onboard a Brusco tugboat sprang into action from the Port of Hueneme to assist a vessel in distress. A 17-year-old containership named the President Eisenhower was headed from Los Angeles to San Francisco when it suffered an engine room fire that disabled command of the vessel.A vessel named Teresa Brusco and her crew pushed the Eisenhower vessel away from shore while other tugboats and salvage companies came to assist. The vessel was disabled in the shipping lane while fully loaded and drifting to shore.

More than $241 million in discretionary grant funding has been awarded for projects to improve U.S. port facilities, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on Thursday.The grants, which will go to 25 projects in 19 states and one territory through the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), are intended to help strengthen America's supply chains to meet heightened demand and help address inflationary pressures, the DOT said.“U.S. maritime ports play a critical role in our supply chains,” said U.S.

The Port of Long Beach announced it has completed a new container terminal, which it ranks as one of the world's most technologically advanced cargo facilitiesThe Long Beach Container Terminal at Middle Harbor is equipped with nearly all electric and zero-emissions equipment designed to improve cargo flow and dramatically enhance air quality amid an era of significant growth at the nation’s second-busiest seaport.“As the world’s first all-electric, zero-emission mega terminal…

July marked the busiest month in the 109-year history of the Port of Long Beach as terminal operators and dockworkers moved 753,081 cargo container units, topping a record set two years ago.Trade increased 21.1% in July compared to the same month in 2019. The previous single-month record of 752,188 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs), set in June 2018, was surpassed by nearly 900 TEUs.“Supply chain workers at the Port of Long Beach expertly handled a welcome surge in cargo that was brought on due to pent-up demand by consumers,” said Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach.

Cargo shipments rose at the Port of Long Beach in May as the economic effects of COVID-19 started to subside.Some 628,205 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container cargo move through the port last month, a 9.5% increase from May 2019. Imports grew 7.6% to 312,590 TEUs, while exports climbed 11.6% to 134,556 TEUs. Empty containers headed back overseas jumped 11.4% to 181,060 TEUs.The volume increases come as manufacturing in China continues to rebound from the effects of COVID-19…

Port of Long Beach (PoLB) informed that the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners voted unanimously to promote Heather Tomley, a widely respected Southern California leader in environmental improvement programs, to Managing Director of Planning and Environmental Affairs for the Harbor Department.Tomley, with the Department since 2005, has served as the Acting Managing Director for the past 12 months while the Port conducted a nationwide search for candidates for the executive position.“Heather has deep experience creating and managing cutting-edge projects that have dramatically improved air quality and earned crucial industry cooperation…

The Port of Long Beach last month had the fifth-busiest August in its 108-year history. However, the total of 663,992 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were handled in August, 2.3% less than a year ago.Imports slid 5.9% to 322,780 TEUs, exports rose 4.5% to 124,975 TEUs and empty containers sent overseas for use in the global supply chain decreased 0.3% to 216,238 TEUs.Long Beach volumes after the first eight months of 2019 are 4,971,407 TEUs, 6.6% down from last year’s record pace.“These results are strong for any North American seaport, but lag behind our record high numbers last year, when retailers shipped goods to beat expected tariffs…

The  U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has given the Port of Long Beach $4.8 million to improve cyber-security.According to a press release from the second-busiest container port in the United States, FEMA Port Security Grant financing was announced earlier this month and will pay to upgrade the Port’s cameras and sensors, and continue its investment in fiber and wireless networks.“Securing the Port requires state-of-the-art technology to monitor activities on land, on the water and below the water,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero.“This grant will help us enhance our domain awareness and maintain our readiness to protect the harbor…

Mediterranean Shipping Company’s MSC Jewel, the cleanest container ship to visit the United States, has stopped by the Port of Long Beach (PoLB).According to a release from the second-busiest container port in the United States, after the Port of Los Angeles, which it adjoins, MSC Jewel arrived at Total Terminals International’s Pier T facility on July 12.The ship, 1,200 feet long with a capacity of 14,436 twenty-foot equivalent units, was built in 2019 and is powered by Tier III diesel engines (main propulsion and auxiliary power), which are 75% cleaner than the Tier II standard set by the International Maritime Organization.“Tier III ships just started entering the global fleet.

The U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade Port of Long Beach announced $100,000 in scholarships for 77 local college and high school students as part of a dramatically expanded and acclaimed education outreach effort. The students receiving the scholarships were recognized at the Port’s sixth-annual “Celebrating Education” event, along with the Port’s 25 incoming high school summer interns, and the 22 local teachers who were trained in engineering education earlier this year as part of the Port's externship program. The event brings together students, educators, public officials and business leaders to highlight the Port’s education outreach programs and accomplishments in the goods movement industry. This year’s event was held at the Long Beach Marriott as part of World Trade Month.

The Port of Long Beach received a $14 million grant from the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP) to offset construction costs for a $25 million rail project to increase efficiency and reduce local traffic.The grant will fund the port's Pier G and J Double Track Access Project, which is designed to allow for better use of the on-dock rail yards at Piers G and J. It will help pay for improvements to freight corridors across California using designated transportation funds from Senate Bill 1 and the National Highway Freight Program.The Port will contribute the remaining $11 million for the $25 million project, which aims to increase operational efficiency, reduce delays by providing greater reliability for on-dock rail and decrease roadway congestion by shifting more containers to rail.

The following information was released by the Port of Los Angeles:Because our facilitation of a safe and secure supply chain is top priority at the Port of Los Angeles, the incident involving an export-bound shipping container that exploded inside a marine terminal storage area here on October 30 is of paramount concern to the Los Angeles Harbor Department and Los Angeles Port Police. Preliminary analysis by the Los Angeles Port Police Hazardous Materials Unit, Los Angeles Police…

Container volumes at the Port of Long Beach were 1.9 percent lower in August compared to the same month the year before.A total of 679,543 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were moved through the Port. Imports declined 3.6 percent to 343,029 TEUs. Exports increased, inching up 1.9 percent to 119,546 TEUs. Empty containers sent overseas dipped 1.1 percent to 216,968 TEUs.August 2017 was one of the busiest months in the Port of Long Beach’s 107-year history. At the time, it was the third-busiest month ever, and the mark has been exceeded three times since.Long Beach’s volumes through the first eight months of the year stand at 5,320,930 TEUs.

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has given Toyota Logistics Services the green light to carry out a proposed major terminal upgrade project that includes the construction of a renewable energy fuel-cell power plant and hydrogen fueling station.The planned redevelopment aims to improve efficiency at the Toyota-operated marine terminal at Long Beach's Pier B, where new automobiles are offloaded from ships, processed and transported off-site via truck and railroad.Work on the private project…

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners is scheduled to vote Monday, Aug. 13, on a proposal by Toyota Logistics Services to reconfigure its facility at Pier B and build a renewable fuel-cell power plant and hydrogen fueling station.The study being released by the Port is called an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND), meaning that no substantial evidence was found that the project would have a significant effect on the environment.Public comment on the proposal was accepted through July 10 and a final study and Notice of Intent have been issued.Toyota operates a marine terminal at the Port where new automobiles are off-loaded from ships, processed and transported off-site via truck or rail.

A powerful virtual-reality ship simulation system, operated by the Port of Milford Haven is running courses to train tug boat operators from across Britain. The Navigation Suite, based at Milford Waterfront, creates highly realistic computer-generated versions of any port in the world, giving trainees the opportunity to take the controls of any vessel, including tugboats, to practice scenarios. Tug skippers from Williams Marine Services and Teignmouth Harbor Commission spent two days undertaking theory based safety training and working on simulated ‘as real’ scenarios within the port.

About 500 people gathered at the Long Beach Convention Center for the event, which brings together a panel of shipping and trade experts to offer their perspectives on industry trends and how they affect the San Pedro Bay port complex. One of the panelists, Drewry Maritime Research Senior Quantitative Economist Mario Moreno, predicted Asia-U.S. trade will grow 6.8 percent in 2018, the fastest pace in more than half-a-dozen years. He also estimated the overall U.S. economy will expand 2.8 percent. While President Donald Trump and China have proposed higher tariffs, an all-out trade war between China and the United States appears unlikely, according to Moreno. “Both nations have a lot to lose,” Moreno said.

Officials from the Port of Long Beach, Southern California Edison and the California Energy Commission today launched the nation’s largest pilot project for zero-emissions cranes and other cargo-handling equipment for seaports. Funded mostly by a $9.7 million grant from the California Energy Commission, the project will bring 25 vehicles that are zero- or near zero-emissions to Port of Long Beach marine terminals for one year to test their performance in a real-world setting. The launch event was held at Pacific Container Terminal at Long Beach’s Pier J — operated by SSA Terminals — one of three terminals participating in the project.

The Port of Long Beach has completed its best-ever first quarter, with marine terminals handling almost 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) January through March. The quick start is 19.4 percent more than the first quarter of 2017, the Port’s busiest year ever. The previous first quarter record was set in 2007. March throughput reached 575,258 TEUs, an increase of 13.8 percent compared to the same month last year. “Our March cargo jumped despite the shipping slowdown during the Lunar New Year holiday in China,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “One of the most encouraging signs throughout this surge in cargo last year and this year is the operational efficiency at our marine terminals.