APM Terminals has raised the first of 10 ship-to-shore cranes at its Los Angeles Pier 400 facility by 10m in preparation for the arrival of ultra-large container vessels carrying up to 20,000 TEUs on the trans-Pacific trade.

According to APM, the upgraded cranes also feature LED illumination, which improve operator visibility and use 60% less energy than conventional lighting systems.

“The Los Angeles crane extension project, representing an investment of US$40 million, keeps APM Terminals at the forefront of infrastructure improvement and upgrades in US port operations,” said Kim Fejfer, CEO of APM Terminals. “Our aim is to enable global trade through the safest, most efficient technology available for reliable port operations.”

When upgraded, the 10 cranes will be able to handle vessels with a beam 23-containers wide and 10-containers high above deck. The largest ships that could be handled before the upgrade project were those carrying an average of 13,000 TEUs, according to APM.