Submitted by The Port of Olympia
of cargoes including heavy lift, bulk, breakbulk and containers.
When Star Louisiana arrived March 1 at Port of Olympia from Antwerp, Belgium, it unloaded a unique Port purchase: a modern 2005 Gottwald mobile harbor crane.
The crane has the capability to perform a variety of heavy lifts for the Port, including containers, equipment and over-dimensional and heavier cargoes. And like the gantry cranes before it, it can serve as backup to a ship’s crane in case of failure.
“We are already marketing the Port for new lines of business that we were not able to pursue before the addition of this crane,” said Len Faucher, Marine Terminal Director, “A crane is essential equipment for a port.”
Faucher continued, “This crane is a modern cargo handling solution that should help keep Port of Olympia competitive with its market contemporaries. It enables us to enter the heavy lift market and be ready for potential imports and exports.”
Port staff had examined both new and used cranes and found the used 2005 Gottwald crane to be the best investment value.
The crane arrived disassembled and International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 47 carefully unloaded the units. Assembly was completed on March 17 by Marine Technical Services. Electrical and engine adjustments are now underway.
Next steps include inspection by a Terex certified technician, testing and certification by an independent agency to meet Washington Dept. of Labor and Industry requirements, and operational training.
The Port anticipates paying $3,200,000 for the crane, including disassembly, shipping, reassembly and commissioning. This is just under $2 million less than the cost of a new version of the same model.
The Port’s former gantry cranes, model years 1968 and 1972, became obsolete and cost-prohibitive to maintain. Having no marketability, they were sold in 2014 as scrap and recycled in British Columbia. The Port Commission approved a mobile harbor crane as their replacement.
2005 Gottwald Mobile Harbor Crane Model GHMK7608
Gottwald, a German company, is now known as Terex Port Solutions/Gottwald,
· Height at top of tower: 124 feet
· Height at operator cab: 87 feet
· Boom length: 173 feet
· Total weight, fully rigged: 480 metric tons
· Lifting capacity: 140 metric tons at 11 meters
About the Port of Olympia
The southernmost deepwater port on Puget Sound, the Port of Olympia owns and operates an international shipping terminal that handles a range of breakbulk and project cargoes. The Port also owns and operates Swantown Marina & Boatworks, a 733-slip recreational marina and boat haulout/repair facility, a regional airport and a real estate division. A community port, it generates an estimated 7,249 total direct, induced and indirect jobs as documented by Martin Associates in the 2009 data study, The Economic Impact of the Port of Olympia, January 2011, available at www.portolympia.com.
