The Port of Longview, Washington announced that its second Liebherr mobile harbor crane went to work exporting scrap metal for the first time in Port history.
PNW Metal Recycling, LLC, is exporting scrap bound for foreign steel markets. One of the Port’s two heavy-lift Liebherr cranes was outfitted with a specially fabricated pan to load the scrap metal from a containment area on the berth into the waiting vessel.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase our new equipment,” said Laurie Nelson-Cooley, the Port’s Business Development Manager. “We’re pleased to add this cargo to our portfolio and look forward to using the crane for additional bulks in the future.”
The recycling companies had spent years identifying potential sites for an export operation before choosing Longview. The Port’s convenient location near an available industrial area is what made the arrangement so desirable, according to Hank Doane, director of finance and marketing for PNW Metal Recycling.
Earlier this year, the Port commissioned its second Liebherr crane, which has tremendously expanded the Port’s cargo handling capabilities. The cranes each can lift between 104 and 140 metric tons at 100-foot outreach. Combined, they are capable of handling over-dimensional tandem lifts. The combination of two mobile harbor cranes and the adjacent 70 acres of open laydown storage provide excellent opportunity for business. The newest of the cranes has additional attachments, including a 37-cubic-meter clamshell bucket and a hydraulic 20-to-40-foot container bar.
“This is precisely what was envisioned when we purchased this second crane,” said Geir-Eilif Kalhagen, the Port’s Chief Executive Officer. “Not only has it increased our efficiency, but it also allows us the flexibility our customers need in meeting demands of the global marketplace.”