“This is an exciting time for our port, our shipping companies and the people of Guam,” said port general manager Glenn A. Leon Guerrero. “I want to thank Matson and Horizon along with our hard-working port employees who have made the crane deployment a success.”
The Port of Los Angeles, or POLA, crane joined the Mobile harbor crane and gantry number three for the operation, which is ongoing today.
The two other remaining POLA cranes are still being fine-tuned and are being used to continue training the crane operators and mechanics. They will be deployed next week to service incoming Matson and Horizon ships.
“This is great news for our community because additional cranes servicing our ships mean that the goods being transported through our port will get into our stores and into your homes even quicker than before,” Leon Guerrero said.
The three gantry cranes were purchased by Horizon Lines, Inc. and Matson Navigation Company.
The two companies acquired the cranes from the Port of Los Angeles in 2007 and have retrofitted and modified the equipment to enhance their productivity and handling capabilities.
The $18 million investment by Horizon and Matson will ensure Guam is equipped with modern, reliable cranes that can support projected growth in cargo volumes to Guam and Micronesia region over next 15 years.
The cranes are equipped with state-of-the-art electronic control drives and modern diesel generator power packs. Other upgrades include lifting beams capable of handling 45-foot containers and new disc-style main function brakes.
Fully assembled, the cranes are over 160-feet tall and have a lift height of over 90 feet. The cranes will be operated by Port Authority of Guam employees.
