The Most Advanced US Port Emerges After 10 Years of Construction!

The Port of Long Beach has eventually announced the completion of the Long Beach Container Terminal at Middle Harbor after over 10 years of construction.

The construction of the $1.5 billion project started in May 2011. The first phase of the project was completed five years later, allowing the terminal to operate across an initial 151 acres. The second phase wrapped up in October 2017, expanding the facility to 191 acres. The third and final phase concluded in July 2021, growing the terminal to 300 acres, which allows it to handle ~3.3 million TEUs annually and alleviate truck traffic with a complete container yard and on-dock rail yard.

According to Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT), another 3 acres are expected to be added in 2025 with the opening of the North Gate Expansion, completing the terminal with 303 acres.

LBCT sets the industry standard for building the world’s first all-electric terminal.

“This new terminal facilitates green cargo operation and strengthens our ongoing commitment to the Green Port Policy and San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan enacted about 15 years ago,” said Long Beach Harbor President Steven Neal.

All main facilities are built with features to save power and water to meet the gold-level standards of Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). For example, all container ships calling at the terminal will plug into shore power connections while berthed, allowing them to shut down diesel engines and connect to the landside electrical grid.

The Port of Long Beach will generate more than 575,000 jobs in Southern California.

The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest port in the US, following the Port of Los Angeles. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, it is able to handle $200 billion in trade annually, supporting more than 575,000 Southern California jobs. 

SOURCE: gCaptain