LA Harbor Commission Approves 30-Year Lease With Longtime Terminals Operator

WILMINGTON, CA — The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners Thursday approved a 30-year lease with Yusen Terminals, ensuring the longtime marine terminal operator remains with the port through 2056 and paving the way for a $200 million investment in zero-emission cargo-handling equipment.

Yusen Terminals has operated at the Port of Los Angeles since 1991. Spanning 232 acres at Berths 212-224, it is located north of the Vincent Thomas Bridge along the port's East Basin Channel.

The terminals operator is an active participant in multiple port clean air initiatives, with strong community partnerships across the Harbor Area, according to officials.

"We greatly value our longstanding partnership with Yusen Terminals and the role they play in the success of our port," Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a statement. "Their commitment to excellence and willingness to work closely with us have been invaluable, especially in advancing our clean air initiatives. When we called on terminals to test and incorporate zero-emission equipment, Yusen Terminals immediately stepped up."

Under the approved lease extension, Yusen Terminals will invest an additional $200 million in zero-emission equipment over the coming years.

The terminal has been actively transitioning its equipment toward zero- emission operations and currently operates a range of zero-emission and hydrogen fuel-cell equipment, including electric top handlers, forklifts and yard tractors.

Yusen Terminals is owned by Ocean Network Express, one of the world's largest container shipping companies. Its services at the Port of Los Angeles include stevedoring, terminal operations and specialized cargo-handling.

Yusen Terminals will celebrate its 35th anniversary at the port later this year.

"We're proud of the operation we've built at the Port of Los Angeles and excited about what lies ahead," Yusen Terminals President and CEO Alan McCorkle said in a statement. "This agreement gives us the long-term certainty to continue investing in our terminal, our people and new technology while providing the reliable service our customers expect. We look forward to building on our partnership with the port for decades to come."

City News Service