Thunder Bay Port Authority Puts New Crane Into Service
by Scott A. Sumner
It was the opportunity to celebrate the placement into service of the largest purchase of equipment at the Thunder Bay Port Authority ever. The Liebherr LHM 320 Mobile Harbour Crane will give the port even more capabilities to serve its customers.
“ It is the largest single piece of equipment that the port has ever acquired at a cost of over $3 million. The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund assisted to the tune of $1 million, which is a great help. It is an excellent deal, “ said Fred Stille, Chair of the Board of the Thunder Bay Port Authority. “ Our staff lead by Tim Heney found it on the internet sitting on a dock 70 miles inland from the sea at Stockton California, near San Francisco. It had never been assembled and operated. The salt water had no negative effect on it, everything is brand new. It also came with a lot of additional accessories. You can move it up and down the dock on its tires. It will lift 104 tones, which is a lot, like 25 Cadillac’s. It will help us with the windmill components and heavy equipment to the oil sands and other mining equipment. The manufacturer Liebherr helped train us on the crane. It is the largest crane west of Montreal until the west coast or in Prince Rupert.”
The Thunder Bay Port is having a good year according to Stille. “ There is a period of uncertainly because the wheat board monopoly was cancelled and a local grain operation sold to a international company. We are not sure of the impact on the port but I think there are lots of positives. The operator can now load a ship anyway and any time they want so it may be more efficient for them.,” said Stille.
Tim Heney CEO of the Thunder Bay Port Authority was a happy man watching the new crane lift a heavy forklift as a demonstration of capabilities. “ It is a huge day for us. It is a beautiful crane and really performing well. We have already done one ship and it is exceeding our expectations,” said Heney. “ We were looking at a new crane, researching them on the web and we found this one in Stockton, California some 75 mile inland which is away from salt water which is good. I had never been to Stockton but it is like a desert there. It was on the dock for 4 years there and never assembled. The recession caught them in the lerch I think.”
“ The crane new is worth $ 4.6 million and we got it for $2.6 million and then of course it was about $ 1million to get it here and have it set up. This is the biggest crane on the lakes. There is a couple in Montreal and many others all over the world. The machine is well known in the world as very efficient in the loading and unloading ships and all types of cargo,” said Heney. “ It will help us with new cargo like wind towers that were 55 tons and it picked them up easily. In the past we would bring in a crane from Toronto at a cost of $250,000 just to unload one ship. It is designed to last a lifetime and can move around on the dock and in the yard.”
Things are going well for the port this year especially in new cargo. “ We have had another record year in project cargo. The grain is interesting as it has been slow in the summer as they transition to the new marketing scheme. It has been a great crop in Canada this year so we are looking forward to a strong fall. Also we are seeing more interest in grain storage which is great because Thunder Bay is the best at that in North America.”
