Middle Harbor Terminal Redevelopment Project, Phase I
Award
Description
“The Port of Long Beach’s Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project combines two aging container terminals into one of the world’s most technologically advanced and most sustainable container shipping facilities. The project doubles the capacity of the existing terminals and supports 14,000 new jobs while cutting operational emissions in half. Upon completion, these two terminals will be combined into one and electrified to create the cleanest, most energy efficient container terminal in North America. Operating on its own, this terminal would be considered the fourth largest Port in the country.
The Middle Harbor Terminal Redevelopment Program consists of combining the former Pier F container terminal operated by Long Beach Container Terminal with the former Pier E container terminal operated by California United Terminals and reclaiming all the water area between the two terminals to create a new terminal of approximately 345 acres. This new terminal was planned as two phases. The first phase generally encompasses the Pier E area and filling in of Slip No. 1 and consisted of eight various projects. The second phase generally encompasses the Pier F area and filling in most of the East Basin water area. Middle Harbor, Phase One went live on April 7, 2016.
Keeping with the Port’s Green Port Policy and the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan, the Project was designed using principles of sustainable development to minimize or eliminate environmental and community impacts caused by shipping operations. In 2005, with demand for cargo movement on the rise and the antiquated Pier E and Pier F facilities operating at their maximum capacities and struggling to meet the demand at the time, the Port began programming a new terminal to meet future demands and to incorporate new modern terminal technologies similar to those being implemented in European and Asian Ports. Incorporating the Port’s sustainable development guidelines to improve air quality and reduce environmental impacts, the Project includes the following sustainability strategies:
• A new electrical substation and shoreside power infrastructure so ships can plug into electrical grid and shut down their auxiliary diesel engines.
• Electric rail-mounted gantry cranes to replace diesel-powered rubber-tired gantry cranes.
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) minimum Gold standards for four, Phase I buildings.
• Solar carports and employee carpool parking area.
• Battery charging and changing building for electrified automatic guided vehicles that move containers from the wharf to the stacking area.
• Green Flag Vessel Speed Reduction program requirements to reduce air pollution from ships while transiting to berth
• Diversion from landfills; reused or recycled materials such as concrete, asphalt, steel, copper and other materials during construction.
• Expanded on-dock rail to shift more than 30 percent of cargo shipments from trucks to trains. Reducing air pollution and truck traffic congestion.
• A Confined Landfill Disposal site to safely confine contaminated dredge material from the Port and other coastal areas (e.g. City of Long Beach – Alamitos Bay and Colorado Lagoon, Newport Beach and Marina Del Rey) within the slip fill portion of the project.
• All cranes are required to have re-generative motors, whereby the energy used to lift a container is regenerated by lowering the container.
The single catalyst driving the technology front on the project is electrification of the terminal equipment. What started out as a mitigation requirement to reduce the emission of rubber tired gantry cranes working the container yard has led to the automation and semi-automation of several work processes throughout the terminal. Innovative technologies of the Project include the use of weathering steel for structural members in lieu of steel that requires painting to prevent corrosion. The running track work used concrete ties, which according to recent studies have lowered life-cycle costs compared to preservative-treated wood ties. During construction of the Project, the Port also reused fill material, railroad concrete ties, and railroad support structure materials if they were found to be in good condition.
The terminal is equipped with some of the largest electric quay cranes in the world. The secondary trolley is fully automated placing and hoisting containers from the conning platform. Containers coming from the vessel are placed onto a waiting electric Automated Guided Vehicle, which transports the containers to the stacking area. The stacks are managed by electric Automated Stacking Cranes, which receive, sort, and deliver containers. The terminal also uses various control systems for the operation of the equipment to manage the movement of containers within the terminal. Some of the various technologies and systems implemented on the terminal include:
• Radio Frequency Identification
• Optical Character Recognition
• Train in Motion System
• Terminal Operating System
The increased use of on-dock rail due to the Project will reduce drayage to near-dock/off-dock railyards, leading to environmental sustainability benefits through reduced emissions from truck traffic. Middle Harbor ushers in a new era of green port operations with a container yard equipped with all electric cargo handling equipment and enhanced on-dock rail facilities.
The Port’s investment in modernizing its infrastructure will ensure we are ready to handle the expected increase in cargo, larger container ships, and increasing demand for on-dock rail while at the same time reducing port-related air pollution and other environmental impacts. The redeveloped terminal provides the tenant Orient Overseas Container Line and its subsidiary Long Beach Container Terminal with the most advanced, greenest terminal in the United States that is also socially responsible to its surrounding Long Beach community.
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