Horizon Lines brings in new crane
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
Horizon Lines is installing a new $5 million gantry crane at Honolulu Harbor, the latest move by the shipper and rival Matson Lines to upgrade dock facilities to handle a fast-growing volume of container traffic.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
Cargo entering Honolulu Harbor, the first stop for 98 percent of all consumer goods into Hawai'i, is expected to almost double in the next 20 years, according to state transportation officials, who say making existing port facilities more efficient is a high priority because there is limited space for expansion.
Horizon Lines' $5 million acquisition will be the company's third crane at Pier 51. State officials say improved port efficiency is a priority because there is limited space for expansion
Horizon Lines hopes to have the 200-foot-tall crane up and running by next Wednesday. It will be bring to three the number of cranes at Horizon's Pier 51 facilities.
The crane arrived in the harbor Sunday after a two-week ocean crossing from California and will be removed from its barge on Friday, said Brian Taylor, Horizon vice president and general manager.
The crane, with a capacity of 35 long tons, is the latest piece in the company's continuing expansion in Honolulu and designed to help meet future cargo needs in the state, Taylor said.
"If you go back to 1987, we had only one vessel a week here. Now, we've got three," Taylor said.
The new crane will allow ships to be unloaded 30 percent faster and increase the turnaround time for each ship, Taylor said.
It also will allow Horizon to stack containers five-high on deck, increasing the carrying capacity of each ship.
The crane will be positioned on rails allowing more flexibility for loading and unloading at the dock.
The company also has added three heavy-cargo top handlers, six smaller yard trucks and 200 cargo chassis to move containers through the lot more efficiently, Taylor said.
The new crane, purchased from the Port of Long Beach, Calif., will help Horizon Lines (formerly CSX) meet immediate growth needs while other alternatives are explored, Taylor said.
Matson Lines, the state's leading cargo shipper, recently conducted a $31 million overhaul of its cargo yard, giving the company the ability to stack containers and providing a higher density of operations.
The state Transportation Department is planning a $36 million project to strengthen the pavement at the harbor's cargo areas to accommodate new heavy equipment operations.
It also is studying plans to replace the Sand Island bridge with a $200 million tunnel, creating a second shipping lane in the harbor and reducing the chances of a terrorist attack on the only link between the main cargo facilities and the rest of O'ahu.
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
