Alaska's Biggest Crane Arrives in Kodiak

Matson, Inc., a U.S. carrier in the Pacific, took delivery of a new 65-ton gantry crane to replace one half its size at the company's Kodiak Terminal. 
 
Standing more than 340 feet tall at its peak with a boom spanning 164 feet, Matson's new crane is the largest in Alaska, capable of lifting loads up to 60 feet long and weighing up to 145,000 pounds.

Its state-of-the-art industrial equipment will be powered entirely by renewable energy.  An electrically powered crane that uses fly wheel technology to capture, store and then return power as needed, the crane will run on electricity provided by the Kodiak Electric Association, which uses wind and water turbines to generate 99.9 percent of its power.

With a price tag of more than $10 million, the new crane is one of a number of investments Matson is making to improve the services and capabilities of its Alaska operations.  It has also purchased new ground equipment and ordered a fleet of new dry and insulated containers for use in Alaska.

Matson has also scheduled work to install new exhaust scrubber systems on the three former Horizon D7 Class vessels it now operates in Alaska, with each vessel going into dry dock for three months, one after another, starting in September. 

Matson, Inc. closed its acquisition of Horizon Lines, Inc., which included Horizon's Alaska operations and the assumption of all non-Hawaii business, for $469 million (before transaction costs) on May 29, 2015. 

Matson said it is committed to continuing Horizon's long operating history in Alaska with a three vessel deployment of diesel powered Jones Act qualified containerships that provide two weekly sailings from Tacoma to Anchorage and Kodiak, and a weekly sailing to Dutch Harbor.  In addition, Matson has retained Horizon personnel and maintained operations port terminals in Anchorage, Kodiak and Dutch Harbor and acquired several reserve steam powered Jones Act containerships that may be used for dry-dock relief.