Seattle port expansion pushes ahead at Terminal 5

SSA Terminals is the owner and future operator of the equipment, which will be among the largest cranes on the US West Coast. With a height of 96.3m  and an extension boom of 73.1m, each crane can lift 100 tonnes of cargo.

"We believe the Northwest Seaport Alliance and Terminal 5 have a very strong future ahead of them. The purchase of these new cranes underscores our commitment to the market and to our customers. We know that larger ships with higher volumes are coming. We want to be ahead of that curve and are preparing our terminal to meet the needs of our customers," said Ed DeNike, president of SSA Terminals.

"The arrival of the T-5 cranes at Elliot Bay demonstrates our collaborative commitment to invest in the critical infrastructure needed to ensure the future of living wage maritime jobs in Seattle," stated Port of Seattle Commission Chairman and NWSA Co-Chair Fred Felleman.

"Not only will the re-opening of T-5 allow us to reduce the congestion of truck traffic serving T-18, but with new cranes capable of serving larger vessels, more cargo can be moved on fewer vessels. In addition, air, noise and weather impacts will be reduced by allowing ships to use shore power instead of running their generators while docked, which will benefit our Orcas and communities alike," he added.

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“The investment in Terminal 5 ensures that the gateway remains competitive for the next 30 years and beyond”, said Port of Tacoma Commission Chairman and NWSA Co-Chairman Dick Marzano.

"By adding additional space at the deep-water terminal, we can serve the industry's largest vessels and increase cargo volumes that benefit our local, state and regional economy," he added.

The new Terminal 5 cranes will begin moving cargo in early 2022, when phase one of the two-phase construction project is completed. When fully completed, Terminal 5 will feature 74.86 hectares of additional capacity and on-dock rails to handle discretionary cargo and grounding, which are essential to the sustainable growth of the NWSA gateway.