Port Ops News

In the latest development, the Port of Oakland announced that its largest marine terminal is converting 13 diesel-powered yard cranes to hybrid power. The result is expected to be an annual 45-ton reduction in diesel-related air pollutants.The Port said the first hybrid crane began service March 5 at Oakland International Container Terminal. It added that the rest of the terminal’s retrofitted fleet will come online by next year. Each crane, shaped like an inverted U on wheels, is being equipped with batteries and new, smaller diesel backup engines.“This is the Prius of cargo-handling equipment,” explained Port of Oakland Environmental Planner Catherine Mukai.

Typhoon Chaba battered southern parts of South Korea with violent wind and heavy rain on Wednesday, killing at least three people and flooding the country's main port and industrial sites and disrupting production at some factories. The storm hit the island of Jeju overnight and one person was reported missing amid widespread power outages and damage to homes and other buildings. Twenty-six flights linking the holiday island to the mainland and to China were cancelled. The port in the city of Busan was shut for a second day as Chaba whirled past and headed east towards Japan. An official at the country's biggest port said it was expected to reopen later in the day.

Oil, gas and iron ore imports resume after disruptions; Strategic oil reserves in the region not affected. Many operations have resumed at China's Tianjin port, trade sources said, after explosions last week that killed more than 100 people and disrupted business at what is an important oil, gas and bulk import harbour for Asia's biggest economy. The explosions on Aug. 12 led to the disruption of all chemical and oil tanker discharges at the port, and imports of iron ore were also affected. But shipping data from Reuters on Monday showed that tankers were discharging again, with traders and shippers confirming that operations had restarted over the weekend. Port officials were not immediately available for comment.

U.S. West Coast port operations resumed in full on Monday after shipping companies halted loading and unloading of freighters for the weekend, citing chronic cargo backups that shippers and dockworkers have blamed on each other during months of labor tensions. But a planned resumption of federally mediated contract talks was pushed back until Wednesday without explanation, even as the White House joined retailers and manufacturers in urging the sides to redouble efforts to settle a dispute that has rippled through the U.S. commercial supply chain. Shippers and terminal operators announced last week they would suspend cargo crane operations for container vessels at the ports on Saturday and Sunday because of mounting congestion that they said had brought the docks to virtual gridlock.

The Port Operations department (Port Ops) at Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay, Cuba conducted training for oil spill response (OSR), and hazardous waste operations and emergency response Feb. 6-10. The annual training ensures NS Guantanamo Bay Port Ops Sailors and contract workers have the necessary skills to operate the installation's OSR boats, equipment, and other assets to quickly react to in-water oil spills on base. "Oil spill response is one of the primary duties for Port Ops," said Senior Chief Quartermaster Paul Bischoff, NS Guantanamo Bay Port Ops leading chief petty officer. "Unlike bases in the U.S., we don't have specialized on-call oil spill response teams available at the other end of a telephone.

According to the United Nations, the world’s population which currently stands at just over 6.7 billion could reach over nine billion by 2050. This staggering figure will no doubt create a surge in consumerism and a subsequent increase in demand for much larger ships, in order to be sufficiently equipped to support the global trade economy. Furthermore, the need for bigger vessels is being driven by the shipping companies’ desire to reduce costs, in order to weather the economic storm which still remains a worrying challenge.

Transas is glad to announce its enhanced 3D VTS solution. First presented to the world maritime market in 2008, current version of 3D VTS has been significantly upgraded. The product visually represents the full-scale 3-dimensional view of the navigational situation in the VTS area. The functionality enhances situation awareness both from ashore and critically from onboard perspectives. 3D VTS complements the range of Transas solutions facilitating safe navigation in the port and coastal areas.

A new 105 ft., multi-purpose, double-hull tug, Vera Bisso, has been launched by Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., of Lockport, La., for E.N. Bisso & Son, Inc., of Metairie, La. Similar to other tugs built by E.N. Bisso & Son during the 1990s, Vera Bisso is designed for dual applications. Its initial focus will be on ship assist work along the Mississippi River, for which the vessel possesses exceptional maneuverability. However, with its sturdy build, Vera Bisso is also capable of performing offshore work. According to Walter Kristiansen, president of E.N. Bisso & Son, the vessel's design resulted from comments solicited from company workers, as well as colleagues. "We started with a blank piece of paper for this tug," said Kristiansen.