The Port of Long Beach has recorded its busiest year ever in 2017, handling 7.54 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of more than 11%, according to figures released at the port’s annual State of the Port address.

In December 2017, the port handled 696,918 TEUs, 27% more than in December 2016.
 
“Business is once again booming, and the commission remains committed to serving our customers and community at the Port of Long Beach,” said Lou Anne Bynum, president of the Harbor Commission. “We will continue to be the leading green port, devoted to a strategy that embraces powerful economic development and unrivalled environmental sustainability and social responsibility.”

According to Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach, the port is now ready to handle the largest container vessels, and committed to making operations predictable, reliable, efficient and fast to retain and grow business into the next decade.

“We must re-imagine, redesign and build a port that is second to none both environmentally and operationally,” Cordero said.

He added that Long Beach would continue to build on its productivity and sustainability.

“Zero emissions remains our ultimate goal,” he said. “For us to continue to grow sustainably, our port must be better prepared than other North American ports to bring goods on vessels that plug into clean shore power, move on zero-emission yard equipment and cranes, and are transferred quickly onto the most efficient network of trucks and trains. That’s how consumers will get what they want, when they want it. That’s how we’ll all thrive in this new same-day, e-commerce environment.”

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners recently approved the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility which will move cargo faster and with fewer environmental impacts.

“This project is vital to our ability to stay competitive and will minimize truck trips generated by anticipated cargo growth,” said Bynum. “Moving more cargo by rail to and from the port reduces air pollution and makes operations more efficient.”

Cordero said that the goal is to raise the port’s on-dock rail volumes from the current 24% to at least 35%. The ability to build long trains is limited due to the lack of adequate yard tracks at the port’s terminals. The Pier B facility would change this by providing track space to join together sections of trains assembled at terminals.

The board will consider a baseline budget for the project after preliminary designs are completed over the coming months, according to the port.