Ship Photo of the Day – Alaska’s Biggest Crane Arrives in Kodiak

Matson, Inc. this week took delivery of a new 65-ton gantry crane to replace one half its size at the company’s Kodiak Terminal in Alaska.

The crane, which stands 340 feet tall and with a boom spanning 164, is now the largest in Alaska and is capable of lifting loads up to 60 feet long and 145,000 pounds.

The $10 million crane is one of a number of investments Matson is making to improve it Alaska operations. The company has also purchased new ground equipment and ordered a fleet of new dry and insulated containers for use in Alaska. Matson has also scheduled work to install new exhaust scrubber systems on the three former Horizon D7 Class vessels it now operates in Alaska, with each vessel going into dry dock for three months, one after another, starting in September.

The investments follow this year’s acquisition of Horizon Lines’ Alaska operations by Matson for $469 million, which closed on May 29, 2015.

Matson says that going forward, it is committed to continuing Horizon’s operations in Alaska, with a three vessel deployment of diesel powered Jones Act-qualified containerships providing two weekly sailings from Tacoma to Anchorage and Kodiak, and a weekly sailing to Dutch Harbor. Matson says it has also retained Horizon personnel and maintained operations port terminals in Anchorage, Kodiak and Dutch Harbor and acquired several reserve steam powered Jones Act containerships that may be used for dry-dock relief.

Photo courtesy Matson, Inc. 

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