The Port of Olympia has been right here earlier than.
Years in the past, the port had two container cranes that jutted into Olympia’s skyline — two cranes that had been hardly ever used and costly to take care of and finally bought for scrap.
Now the fee is mulling the potential sale of the crane that was bought to exchange these earlier cranes.
At a Port of Olympia work session Thursday, marine terminal director Len Faucher supplied the background on the crane.
The crane, which has a raise capability of 140 metric tons, was made in 2005 and bought by the port in 2013 for $3.25 million. The port used a mix of bond cash and money reserves to pay for it, Faucher mentioned. After the port paid $225,000 to assemble the crane, it turned operational in 2015.
The port thought its heavy-lift capability would make it splendid to draw cargo from the oil trade and wind energy technology enterprise, however the value of oil collapsed and the wind energy blades are actually a lot bigger than they was once. The port can’t accommodate the bigger dimension, Faucher mentioned.
The result’s that the crane has seen solely occasional use, reminiscent of lifting the hay and feed wanted for the cattle shipments that go by means of the port.
When the port combines the occasional use with the expense of sustaining the crane, together with debt service on the bond funds, it has misplaced $2.21 million on the crane to this point, in accordance port monetary knowledge.
Faucher mentioned if the port had been to promote the crane, it may both hire a crane or purchase a smaller crane for about $200,000. A sale may carry $1.3 million to the port, he mentioned.
Commissioner Joe Downing was blunt in his evaluation of the scenario.
“I’ve to say flat out it’s fairly dismal,” he mentioned, including that in 5 years the crane hasn’t lifted something near its rated vary of 140 metric tons.
He mentioned the ships that decision on the port have their very own cranes and the port hasn’t secured any heavy-lift cargoes.
“If we don’t see any good use for the crane over the subsequent yr, I say we ponder promoting it,” Downing mentioned.
Commissioner E.J. Zita was in settlement, saying the port may use $1.3 million.
“These are tight occasions,” she mentioned. “We ought to be a financially secure mannequin for the port.”
Port Government Director Sam Gibboney cautioned the fee on a sale of the crane, nonetheless, explaining {that a} sale wouldn’t get rid of the principal and curiosity funds on the bond.
“The sale of the asset wouldn’t cowl these bond prices,” she mentioned, suggesting that it will be greatest to attend till the crane is paid for and the port shouldn’t be underwater on it.
If the crane is bought, Downing mentioned he wouldn’t be in favor of changing it once more with one other crane. He favors renting, or partnering with an organization that may provide the port with a crane when wanted.
Zita known as for extra monetary evaluation of the crane scenario.
Gibboney mentioned port employees may present extra evaluation within the first quarter of 2021.
However Zita mentioned the earlier, the higher. “The crane is hemorrhaging money,” she mentioned.
Rolf has labored at The Olympian since August 2005. He covers breaking information, town of Lacey and enterprise for the paper. Rolf graduated from The Evergreen State School in 1990.