Here’s what’s going on with the new arrival at the Port of Bellingham’s shipping terminal
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What’s with all the ship traffic in Bellingham Bay? There could be more on the way
Here’s what’s going on with the new arrival at the Port of Bellingham’s shipping terminal
The Bellingham Shipping Terminal may soon see new cargo activity with the arrival of a very large crane on Thursday, July 8.
The Liebherr Harbor Crane, which has a lifting capacity of 120 tons and a reach of 157 feet, arrived by barge at the shipping terminal on Cornwall Avenue near Waypoint Park. Once in place, the mobile harbor crane will be able to handle new projects that the shipping terminal previously couldn’t handle, according to Mike Hogan, spokesman for the port. This includes an anticipated barge service that will operate between Bellingham and San Diego. This service will send forest products south while empty containers that need repositioning will be sent northbound.
The 817,915 pound-crane was shipped from California to Bellingham after it was declared surplus by the Port of West Sacramento due to a change in cargo focus, Hogan said. The port contracted with Pacific Crane Maintenance Company to get the crane to Bellingham.
“The new harbor crane is an amazing piece of machinery which will open the door for business opportunities we have not been able to access and create good jobs for our community,” said Port Commission President Ken Bell. “Having a massive crane on the docks of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal not only shows we are a working port, but it will serve as a lasting symbol of the strength of Whatcom County’s working waterfront.”
In addition to the crane, the port recently received a $6.85 million federal grant to upgrade the terminal, which should help attract new business, Hogan said.
Before the arrival of the crane, the shipping terminal’s focus has been on domestic barge traffic, including the current shipping of large rocks for a major project on the Columbia River.
While at the shipping terminal viewing the crane on Thursday morning, Bell pointed to a large container ship called APL Turkey that was parked in Bellingham Bay, waiting to unload in Seattle.
“They are waiting in the bay to go to Seattle because we don’t have the equipment. That’s cost us a contract, but with this crane, we can capture that market,” Bell said.
Bell noted that Bellingham has plenty of storage capacity at the shipping terminal, which should be attractive to companies looking to unload and get the ships moving again.
“Just having the option of storing containers here and loading them on trucks is a big deal,” Bell said.
In 2018, the 590-foot MV African Egret arrived in Bellingham Bay and loaded about 5.2 million board feet of logs that were shipped to China for housing construction and furniture production. In 2017, the MV Diana Bolten unloaded organic corn and soybeans that went to local markets.
While Bellingham has mostly done domestic barge business at the shipping terminal, Hogan said a variety of companies are looking at Bellingham for some international cargo trips.
Marine trade is a key part of Whatcom County’s economy. A recent study estimated Whatcom had more than 6,000 jobs directly and indirectly related to marine trades, representing about 7% of the total workforce.
This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 11:19 AM.
