SAN PEDRO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--China Shipping celebrated the completion of a major phase of its terminal expansion project at the Port of Los Angeles, adding a new 925-foot section of wharf, 18 additional acres of backland and four state-of-the art container cranes that will increase cargo throughput, create jobs and reduce air emissions.
“We take great pride in the growth and success we’ve experienced at the Port of Los Angeles,” said Chairman Li Shaode of China Shipping. “The completion of this critical phase allows for the berthing of two ships simultaneously and positively positions China Shipping and the Port for considerable growth opportunities.”
“I commend China Shipping for its long-term commitment to the Los Angeles economy and the environment,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “This is a global company that has made a major financial investment in Los Angeles to significantly grow its business using the cleanest technology available.”
“It is partnerships like this one with China Shipping that allow the Port to grow smartly and efficiently while creating jobs and opportunity throughout the region,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. “This expansion enables China Shipping to continue its remarkable growth and better serve its customers around the world.”
China Shipping operates the West Basin Container Terminal at the Port of Los Angeles. With the most recent $47.6 million expansion phase completed, the terminal now has 2,125 feet of wharf space and eight super post-Panamax cranes, handling cargo operations for the China Shipping, Yang Ming, K-Line, Cosco, Hanjin, Sinotrans and Zim shipping lines. China Shipping also has a joint venture with a neighboring container terminal at the Port, operated by Yang Ming Shipping Line.
As part of the latest improvements, an access bridge was also constructed between China Shipping and Yang Ming for efficient truck movement of cargo between the two terminals. Over the next three years, 375 feet of additional wharf space will be added, along with more backland space that will eventually double the size of China Shipping to 142 acres.
When completed, China Shipping’s expanded terminal operations will facilitate more than 8,400 direct permanent and indirect jobs, and it will increase container terminal capacity to accommodate an annual throughput of 1.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units, or 20-foot containers). China Shipping plans to install two additional super Post-Panamax cranes after the final wharf expansion is completed, bringing the total crane count to 10.
Dozens of environmental measures are in place at China Shipping, including the use of shore side “Alternative Maritime Power” (AMP™) by vessels at berth. In 2004, China Shipping became the first container ship line in the world to plug ships into shore-side electric power while at berth at the Port of Los Angeles. The measure eliminates the release of roughly a ton of ship emissions every 24 hours a ship is at berth.
Other environmental measures include:
- One hundred percent compliance with the Port’s Vessel Speed Reduction Program (VSRP) for ships transiting within 40 miles of the Port, a measure that further reduces container ship emissions in the South Coast Air Basin.
- Use of low-sulfur fuel on container ships within 40 nautical miles of the Port.
- Upcoming construction of a main terminal building to be constructed to “Gold” certification-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
- Use of alternative-fueled yard tractors.
- Use of electric rubber-tired gantry cranes.
- Use of diesel particulate filters on lower-emission switcher locomotives.
China Shipping service at the Port of Los Angeles first started on December 3, 1999, when the M/V Trade Apollo, a 2,500-TEU container ship, called at the Yang Ming Terminal from the Port of Xiamen, China. Today, some of the world’s largest container ships routinely call at the Port of Los Angeles’ West Basin Container Terminal, where fleet size range from nearly 5,000- to 10,000-TEU loaded vessels.
China Shipping Group was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Shanghai. The company operates five ship fleets of more than 430 vessels including container ships, oil tankers, bulk ships, passenger ships and specialized cargo ships.
The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy as well as the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 919,000 regional jobs and $39.1 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars.
The Port of Los Angeles – A cleaner port. A brighter future.
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