Crowley begins construction of new pier at Isla Grande terminal

Crowley Puerto Rico Services Inc. has announced that it has successfully broken ground on the construction of a new pier at its Isla Grande terminal. The project is valued at a US$48.5 million, and the terminal is based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The pier will be 900 ft long, 114 ft wide, and all associated dredging will be carried out to serve Crowley’s two new LNG-fuelled Commitment Class vessels. The vessels are expected to be delivered in 2017. The project also includes the installation of three new ship-to-shore container gantry cranes, which will be provided under a separate contract.

The Crowley Vice President, Puerto Rico, Jose Ayala, said: “This important project represents close collaboration between private business and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) to make a major investment in the infrastructure of Puerto Rico.”

During the construction phase, approximately 75 new jobs have been created. Once this phase has been successfully executed in mid 2017 and Crowley starts service with its new vessels, approximately 100 new jobs will be created.

Ayala said: “We are very pleased to be working with a Puerto Rico-based construction company that is utilising workers on the island and keeping the money in the local economy.”

The Chairman and CEO of Crowley, Tom Crowley, said: “With the first pile driven, we look forward to watching the coming transformation of our terminal into the most modern and efficient port facility on the island.

“Our new terminal infrastructure will help us reposition Puerto Rico as a shipping and logistics hub for the Caribbean Basin and beyond, and open up many new opportunities for our customers.”

Overall, approximately US$500 million is being invested by Crowley in its Puerto Rico service, with two new state-of-the-art ships being constructed, a new pier, three new container cranes, new truck access gates, new containers and container handling equipment and reefer plugs.

Crowley added: “This investment, which is resulting in jobs, economic impact, a cleaner environment and significant service enhancements for Puerto Rico shippers, would not be possible without the Jones Act.

“While the act ensures that we have a robust shipbuilding capability and skilled merchant mariners in the US essential to our national defence, it has also created a commercial shipping market between the mainland and Puerto Rico that is highly competitive, customised and dedicated.

“It is because of this competition and the longstanding rules of engagement spelled out in the Jones Act that we have the confidence to make this major investment for the benefit of the people of Puerto Rico.”

The pier has been meticulously developed over the last year with the PRPA and Harbor Consulting Engineers Inc., and uses modern displacement-based performance criteria. Harbor, the lead design firm for the project, is also the engineer of record for the project and the duration of the construction. For almost 40 years, Crowley and Harbor have worked together on various infrastructure projects. Recently, Crowley successfully acquired the necessary permits, including those from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, amongst other local agencies.

Edited from press release by David Rowlands

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/lng-shipping/18112015/crowley-begins-construction-of-new-pier-at-isla-grande-terminal-1642/