Northwest Seaport Alliance approves Husky Terminal renovation

The “K” Line container terminal will have its berth rebuilt and four cranes added so that it will be capable of working two ultra-large 18,000-TEU containerships simultaneously.    The Northwest Seaport Alliance of the Port of Tacoma and Port of Seattle will spend about $170 million in improvements to the Husky Terminal on the Blair Waterway in Tacoma so the facility can accommodate up to two 18,000-TEU containerships simultaneously.
   While some funds have already been spent and authorized for the project, $118 million for berth and terminal improvements and $22 million for two additional cranes was approved at a joint meeting of the boards of the two ports last week.
   Berths Three and Four at the terminal will be straightened and reconstructed to create a 2,960 foot pier with a structure capable of accommodating four super postpanamax cranes. In addition, the Husky container yard will be reconfigured and a new gate complex will be constructed. The terminal will also retain four existing cranes.
   John Wolfe, the chief executive officer of the Northwest Seaport Alliance, said the investment was first of several planned in both ports, including Terminal 5 in Seattle in the near term.
   Husky Terminal & Stevedoring/ International Transportation Service, Inc. (ITS) is a subsidiary of “K” Line, which is the largest user of the terminal. Other carriers calling at the facility include COSCO, Yang Ming, Hanjin, MOL and Westwood. Ports America has a 30 percent stake holder in ITS
   Tom Bellerud, commercial head of container traffic at the alliance, said traffic grew at a double-digit rate at Husky and the adjacent North Intermodal Yard in 2015, and growth has continued this year.
   The board voted to extend Husky’s current lease by 20 years to August 31, 2046, and rent will increased from roughly $86,000 to $110,000 per acre on Sept. 1, 2018, when the straightening and reconstruction of the berth is expected to be completed. After that, rent will increase in line with the consumer price index for urban consumers within a range of a minimum of one percent and maximum of 5 percent.