Today, the Port Authority of Guam (Port) held a demolition and ribbon-cutting ceremony at its terminal yard to begin the removal and disposal of 5 cranes and 2 barges.
The 5 inoperable cranes, which include 2 gantry cranes, 2 rubber-tired gantry cranes, and 1 mobile Harbor crane, and 2 barges, sat on the Port’s property for decades, posing safety hazards and consuming valuable dock space. In effect, they have also prevented the space from being used to generate revenue.
However, these issues are set to be rectified, as contractors Guam Shipyard and Smithbridge have begun a $2.5 million project to disassemble the cranes into manageable pieces and transport them off-site to an approved salvage or disposal facility.
Generating Revenue
Namely, the removal of Gantry #2 and Gantry #3 “would present the Port with financial opportunities . . . by creating additional berthing space for ships along the wharves,” according to the Port.
In a speech, Port General Manager (GM) Rory Respicio added, “These 2 gantry cranes will once again be revenue-generating, and the area by F-6, once the barge is lifted, and the other remaining barge next to it will also be lifted, thanks to Guam Shipyard at no additional cost to the Port. This area in front of F-6 will now be revenue-generating.”
Every piece of metal or debris from the cranes and barges will be shipped off-island for recycling, the Port stated in a press kit. Additionally, among other things, demolition will allow the Port to expand the use of its container yard and cargo storage capabilities.
The Port in a global context
The Port GM continued, “The Port’s readiness is critical to the military’s readiness and Indo-Pacific’s strategy. Now more than ever, with the global situations in Ukraine and China, the Department of Defense [DoD] has been very supportive in allocating more resources to our hospital, the Port, the airport, and our roads.”
Governor Leon Guerrero and Lutenient Governor Josh Tenorio attended today’s ceremony, making good on their promise to prioritize this project prior to assuming office.
“I remember when I became governor, and we took a tour of the Port,” she said. “Rory was showing me all the wharves and all the derelict vessels that are in the waters, and I said, “Wow–our Port needs to be cleaned up!’
“That’s when I instructed Rory to get those derelict vessels up, and I know we did, in working with the military. And then, of course, 2-and-a-half years later, here we are: witnessing the first dismantling of this crane.”
The Governor further stated how this project would broaden Guam’s opportunities. She said, “This is not only going to clean our waters; it’s also going to provide space for all these foreign vessels that are going to be coming to Guam when we are exempted from the Jones Act.”
