Friday, June 25, 2021

Businesses Selected for Port of Seattle Accelerator Program

A dozen small businesses will take part in the Port of Seattle’s new PortGen accelerator program aimed at helping women and minority-owned businesses.

The companies include American Abatement and Demo; Certified Inspection Service, Inc; Crux Diving Inc; Ergosynch Engineering; Integrated Design Engineers; JMR Trucking INC; KWAME Building Group; Lights Inc; Mobile Electric; Proshred Seattle; SHJ Electric and SASH Painting.

“Port projects should create economic opportunity in every community,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Sam Cho. “The Port of Seattle’s PortGen Accelerator is part of our efforts to advance equitable recovery. Connecting small business owners to the right training and tools will make them more competitive when bidding for procurement opportunities with the port and other government agencies.”

The two-month program, which is set to start this month, gives these businesses access to mentors and programming the area entrepreneurs and boost their chances of contracting with the port and other Seattle procurement teams.

“This inaugural PortGen cohort will develop relationships with business leaders, take deep dives into financing, customer acquisition and growth strategies, and meet mentors to support their expansion plans,” said Courtney Law, innovation director at Find Ventures. “The accelerator will expand the access to new opportunities for the region’s small business community.”

Port of Long Beach Updates Its Green Ship Incentives

Starting July 1, the Port of Long Beach will offer financial incentives to ocean carriers that bring their greenest vessels to the port, thanks to changes recently made by harbor commissioners to the port’s Green Ship Incentive Program.

The voluntary program, which started in 2012, uses the international Environmental Ship Index (ESI) to determine incentive levels for ships that surpass emission standards set by the International Maritime Organization.

The latest version offers three levels of incentives based on a ship’s ESI score, starting from $600 and can go up to $6,000. Ships with main engines that meet IMO’s Tier III standard qualify for an additional $3,000 credit.

“Our goal is to increase participation in the already successful Green Ship Program by aligning it with international sustainable maritime transportation efforts,” said Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “These incentives are the largest offered to vessels and Tier III ships of any seaport, and we expect the update will have positive impacts in Long Beach and around the globe.”

Over 8,000 vessels and 50 ports globally take part in the ESI, said port Executive Director Mario Cordero.

“This change and offer of financial rewards gives operators even more reasons to be socially responsible and make investments in cleaner fuels, ship modifications or on-board technologies that improve air quality beyond required standards,” said Cordero.

Tsunami Sirens Installed at Everett

This week, two tsunami warning sirens were installed at Jetty Landing & Boat Launch and at the Port of Everett as part of Washington State Emergency Management Division’s statewide Tsunami Siren Network.

The network consists of 122 All-Hazard Alert Broadcast tsunami sirens dotted along the Washington coast. When necessary, the sirens will wail, then release evacuation instructions in English and Spanish. The sirens can be heard from a mile away and topped with a blue light for those who are hearing impaired.

Once they are up and running, the sirens will be regularly tested at noon on the first Monday of every month ringing a Westminster chime instead of the full siren warning. Annually on the third Thursday in October, the sirens will be tested “at full wail” as part of the Great Washington ShakeOut statewide preparedness event, according to the port.

The port and the city’s emergency management team will work with the community on how to prepare and respond in the event of a tsunami.

More information is available at https://mil.wa.gov/tsunami#sirens.

Port of San Diego, Canadian Group Partner on Blue Economy Effort

The Port of San Diego is teaming up with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster to advance its blue economy goals with efforts to seek projects that are sustainable and promote fisheries and commerce.

Earlier this month, port commissioners agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding allowing both sides to pursue funding and investment opportunities for projects, share what they know about the blue economy and promote port and OSC programs.

“There is an ocean of opportunity in aquaculture and blue technology,” said port Board Chairman Michael Zucchet. “The partnership with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster will allow us to build upon our collective efforts and share resources for the benefit of our respective programs as well as for emerging businesses in the global blue economy ecosystem, especially in North America.”

Both sides have been looking to partner since last year. Ocean Supercluster consists of a group of individuals in Canada’s private sector who assemble to boost “sustainable innovation and modernization across ocean sectors.”

So far, OSC’s efforts have resulted in the approval of over 50 projects worth more than $250 million CAD. It’s also got the backing of the Canadian government, which has earmarked up to $153 million CAD to support OSC programs, according to the port.

“The sustainable development of our oceans is one of the most important opportunities of our time,” said Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. “This strategic partnership we have formed with the Port of San Diego will bring together our shared interests and the opportunity to not only tackle some of the biggest challenges in ocean, but also further our collective efforts in the development of new innovation, growth, and global positioning in the blue economy.”

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

New NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Appointed

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s Janet Coit has been selected to head up NOAA Fisheries as the assistant administrator and serve as acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator, it was announced Monday.

Coit, whose experience in environmental matters span more than three decades, will take over for Paul Doremus, who has served as acting NOAA Fisheries assistant administrator since January.

“Janet understands the direct link between natural resources management and economic vitality for our Nation,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “She is a tremendous addition to our NOAA team, who brings a wealth of experience in supporting fisheries, promoting the seafood sector, protecting the marine environment, and tackling climate change.”

At her previous job, Coit worked to support Rhode Island’s fishing industry by improving the infrastructure for commercial and recreational fisheries and pushing for its sustainable management, including a new shellfish initiative. Before that, Coit served as The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island’s state director and was counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works.

She will oversee the management of recreational and commercial fisheries within U.S. waters, the protection of marine mammals and protected species and the conservation of coastal fisheries habitats, NOAA said. She’ll also lead its 4,800 employees based in five regional offices, six science centers and over 20 laboratories in 15 states and U.S. territories.

“I am excited to join NOAA Fisheries to work with the agency’s incredibly skilled and dedicated employees to rebuild fisheries where necessary, and protect and conserve endangered and threatened marine resources and their habitats,” said Coit. “It’s clear that NOAA Fisheries is already pivoting to capture and incorporate climate impacts into its world-class science capabilities. That will serve us well as we focus on the management of some of the most iconic and sustainable fisheries in the world.”

Dwell Time Up at San Pedro Bay Ports: Report

Cargo containers lingered a bit longer at San Pedro Bay terminals in May than they did the month before, according to data released Monday by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association.

Last month, the average dwell time for a container in San Pedro Bay was four days, longer than the 3.7 day-average from April, PMSA said.

The average dwell time for containers that waited at terminals beyond five days also rose in May, up 15.5% last month from 13.1% in April.

For cargo that left by rail, the dwell time improved slightly last month, with average time falling from 12.4 days in April to 10.5 days in May. That number, PMSA said, is still high for May.

“While container dwell time remains higher than what we would prefer to see, our terminal operators and dock workers continue handling higher than average volumes,” said Jessica Alvarenga, manager of government affairs for PMSA. “The supply chain-wide congestion caused by the uncertainties the pandemic brought have not hindered our terminals’ ability to handle our cargo.”

New STS Crane Set for Oakland Arrival

Later this week, the Port of Oakland is expected to welcome a new ship-to-shore crane that will be delivered to Everport Terminal Services, Inc.

The new crane was built by Shanghai-based ZPMC and has a lift height from the dock of 170 feet. The ship carrying it will pit stop near Pt. Reyes in Marin County for a few days while the crew works to make sure the crane will be able to clear the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges before entering the Oakland port.

When the crane arrives in Oakland, it will have to be reassembled, tested and put into service -- a process that’s expected to take two months.

“New container cranes help keep the Port of Oakland competitive so it can continue to attract and handle the largest vessels calling North America,” the port explained in a statement. “Ultimately infrastructure, like this new crane at Oakland’s waterfront, contribute to growing the maritime business in Northern California and generating jobs in the region.”

Monday, June 21, 2021

SA Marine, NWSA Welcome Super Cranes

After traveling for weeks from Shanghai, four ZPMC Super-Post Panamax cranes arrived at the Seattle Harbor earlier this month.

The 316-foot-tall cranes that were delivered to owner SA Marine and the Northwest Seaport Alliance are a major part of the Terminal 5 Modernization Project and feature a 240-foot outreach boom and the capability to lift 100 tons of cargo.

“Farmers, manufacturers, and other exporters from Washington state to the Midwest depend on the ports of Seattle and Tacoma to quickly move their products to buyers in Asia and beyond,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA). “Expanding capacity at Seattle’s Terminal 5 to handle the largest, newest cargo ships is critical to keeping our ports competitive in the global economy.”

The new cranes are expected to be operational at the start of 2022 after the completion of the project’s first phase.

When both phases are done, Terminal 5 will feature 185 acres of added space, on-dock rail to move discretionary cargo, and shore power.

“Our investment in Terminal 5 ensures that our gateway remains competitive for the next 30 years and beyond,” said Port of Tacoma Commission President and Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair Dick Marzano. “By adding additional deep-water terminal space, we can serve the largest vessels in the industry and increase cargo volumes that benefit our local, state, and regional economy.”