Port of Long Beach accommodated Mediterranean Shipping Company’s MSC Jewel, the cleanest container ship to visit the United States, on July 12. The vessel arrived at Total Terminals International’s Pier T facility.
The Port of Long Beach is moving towards the construction of a new on-dock rail support yard that will better-assist the flow of cargo, improve roadway traffic and reduce emissions by decreasing trips. The Port of Long Beach gave the green light to two key contracts in early July, enabling the start of the engineering design work and program management of the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility project.
Tariffs continue to impact cargo traffic at the Port of Long Beach, where volumes fell in June, in comparison to the same month in 2018. Last June was the busiest month in the Port’s 108-year history, and capped the busiest second quarter during the busiest year ever.
More than 135 shipping lines at the Port of Long Beach were applauded for voluntarily participating in Port of Long Beach ‘Green Flag Incentive Program’ which offers financial incentives for cargo vessels to reduce speed near the port with the goal to reduce air pollution.
Using electrical power for ships at berth instead of diesel-burning engines, ‘cold ironing’ can greatly reduce air pollution from ships. When ships use shore power, they connect into landside electricity for their power needs at berth, avoiding to run diesel-fueled auxiliary on-board engines. According to estimations, shore power is able to limit air pollution from ships at berth by 95%.
The Port of Long Beach Community Grants Program will give away more than $46 million over the next 12-15 years to help those most affected by Port-related impacts. The grants help address the effects on air and water quality, traffic, and noise on local schools, health-care centers, senior facilities and the wider community.
The Port of Long Beach informed that the cargo volumes handled in April broke a record that was set 13 years ago. Namely, the Port moved 628,121 twenty-foot equivalent units in April, while in the same month in 2006 it had moved 619,512 TEUs. Total container volume was up 1.6% over April 2018.
Chinese shipping company Orient Overseas (International) Limited (OOIL) announced a Sale and Purchase Agreement to sell 100% of the Long Beach Container Terminal to a consortium led by and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners (MIP), for US$1.78 billion.
The Long Beach Board of Harbour Commissioners approved an updated Strategic Plan for the Port of Long Beach, presenting the key goals and objectives for the nation’s second-busiest container seaport to continue prospering, meeting the needs of the industry and serving the community.
The Port of Long Beach has implemented aggressive goals for zero emissions goods movement. The 2017 Clean Air Action Plan Update set the Port of Long Beach on the path to zero-emission goods movement, with a target of transitioning terminal equipment to zero emissions by 2030 and on-road trucks by 2035.
