SAN PEDRO, CA-The Los Angeles Harbor Commission has certified the final Environmental Impact Report for the proposed expansion of Berths 302-306 and approved the project that will modernize the container terminal operated by long-time tenant Eagle Marine Services Ltd., a subsidiary of ocean carrier APL. Due to begin in late 2012, the two-year marine terminal redevelopment project at the facility commonly known as “Pier 300”  is expected to generate nearly 3,400 jobs during construction and add nearly 8,000 permanent direct and indirect jobs to the Southern California economy over the next 15 years, according to a prepared statement.

Green innovations include equipping the entire terminal with Alternative Marine Power electrical infrastructure to eliminate emissions from ships at berth and other San Pedro Bay Clean Air Action Plan measures. The $196 million project at the Port’s second-largest terminal will maximize use of the property by allowing APL to handle nearly 58% more ship calls and accommodate more than 65% more cargo, while growing the terminal footprint less than 20%, according to the statement. The percentages translate into up to 390 ship calls and the capacity to move more than 3.2 million TEUs annually by 2027 on a 347-acre terminal.

Much of the work on the Eagle Marine Services terminal will be at Berth 306, where the Port will add 1,250 feet of new wharf and 41 acres of backlands on existing fill. Eagle Marine Services will add eight gantry cranes that span the width of the largest container ships in the global fleet. The number of cranes throughout the terminal will double, bringing the total to 24.

“Our investment in green growth continues to pay huge economic and social dividends,” explains Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in the prepared statement “This project ensures the Port has the world-class infrastructure to remain competitive in the global marketplace, and everyone benefits—our customers, our markets and our communities.”

According to Gene Seroka, APL’s regional president of the Americas, this project strengthens APL’s ability to “continue providing the level and quality of service to meet our customers' needs into the future. It represents the progressive approach that the City and the Port of Los Angeles take to working with their business partners."

According to Port executive director Geraldine Knatz, the Port of L.A. is investing approximately $1.2 billion over the next five years in capital improvement projects. “We’re making sure that we optimize our facilities, green our operations and build on the advantages that make us America’s No. 1 trade gateway.”